Boatnerd Discussion Forum

If memory serves, I believe that there was something about this on TV 9 & 10 in Michigan back in late 1994. It might be worth looking through the station archives.

If I am correct on my information, it was after his 1994 dive to the Fitzgerald wreck site and discovering the body of the crew member that caused an uproar among the families of the deceased crewmen. Shannon if I recall I thought from his findings was to have either done a video and book or was talking about doing both I don’t remember the exact story behind this? Anyway, it was also after his dive and finding the lost and dead crewman that the Fitz crew members families petitioned and lobbied to have the Fitzgerald declared as off limits to future dives if I’m correct and nothing could be taken from the wreck site in the future. Of course as we know, the ship’s Bell was raised in July 1995 and a new bell with the names of the lost crew members was placed onto the wreckage itself. My point in part is, nothing has been recovered or retrieved from the Fitzgerald wreck since the dives in 1994 and 1995. I think there have been private dives to the wreck site by a certain few since 1995 but that’s been about it. I hope my information is mostly correct and I’m sorry if I missed anything. Hope that my information has also helped you out as well.

Fred Shannon died in 2022

I recently watched a you tube video of the 1994 dive on the Fitzgerald wreck site by Fred Shannon. Apparently, one of the missing crewmen was discovered near the sunken ship. Speaking on a local newscast, Shannon almost glorified the find, hoping to return to the site to recover the body. My first thought was for the family members of the lost crew and how they would react to such news. I have lost a lot of respect for Fred Shannon, just my opinion.