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An Island Epilogue
The 50th Anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald Sinking By Peter Huston
No one among us knows first-hand what happened to the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald that fateful day, the 10th of November 1975, but the valiant crew of the US Coast Guard Cutter Woodrush, an 180ft diesel buoy tender, was to be the first on the scene that night. On board the USCGC Woodrush was a young Coast Guard Seaman Apprentice, Tom Seaberg from Put-in-Bay.
It has been fifty years since one of the greatest weather-related maritime tragedies on the Great Lakes occurred. According to NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) rudimentary SMS satellite data showed the size and intensity of one of the fiercest storms to swept through Lake Superior. The CIMSS archives describe how with temperatures dropping and shifting winds increasing in velocity, the Edmund Fitzgerald’s seasoned crew of 29 sailors had hugged the northern shore of Isle Royale trying to avoid the increasingly large fetch. Many theories have been put forth about why the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. Perhaps as CIMSS suggests, the large waves quickly changing direction came on with such little notice and sunk the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald. We may never know for certain.
Just a young island guy, eighteen-year-old Tom Seaberg joined the US Coast Guard early in the summer of 1975. He was assigned to the US Coast Guard Cutter Woodrush, which was stationed in Duluth Minnesota. Fresh out of Put-in-Bay School, Tom had enlisted and just completed coast guard bootcamp in Cape May, New Jersey. This had just barely prepared him for what was about to happen that night as the USCGC Woodrush headed out on a rescue mission to Whitefish Point where the Fitzgerald had vanished.
South Bass resident Russ Brohl, now a retired freighter captain, was working for the Parker Boat line that day when this terrible storm came through Lake Erie. He recalls the intensity of the storm and said “it was one of the worst he ever sailed through.”
Dan Wolfe, Northern News Now, explained in his news report that word spread quickly in Duluth that afternoon the Fitzgerald was missing. The command of the US Coast Guard Cutter Woodrush quickly gathered its crew which was scattered about Duluth. Tom Seaberg explained to me that it was nearly dark as they steamed out of the harbor “full speed” and headed to the last known spot of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Reporter Wolfe said, “with waves crashing into the Lift Bridge, the Woodrush was about to become the only Coast Guard vessel to steam directly into the storm in search of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” According to Seaberg, the waves were breaking over the Woodrush bow as the cutter headed out. As a Seaman Apprentice it was Tom’s job that night to stand helm watch.
About 30-40 miles out from Duluth the Woodrush was getting caked with ice. Crew members had to hang on with both hands with many of the crew getting sick, according to Seaberg.
Tom continued, “we were loaded up with ice as the Woodrush passed the tip of Kenai Peninsula and so we began to make a turn to shake off the ice.” With the Woodrush so heavily caked in ice the turn nearly turtled the 180-foot cutter (turned on its side). Luckily another rogue wave slapped the stern and righted the Woodrush. According to various accounts Captain Jimmie Harris Hobaugh was said to have considered turning back at that point but pressed on.
Tom Seaberg explained to me, “it took 20 plus hours to reach the spot where the Edmund Fitzgerald had vanished.” After the Woodrush had finally made it to the last known location they searched for two days. Seaberg went on, “all they found was a life ring and some scattered debris”. For young Tom Seaberg it was an experience he will never forget.
Tom and the crew of the Woodrush were heroes none the less for making that dangerous voyage into the darkness to save the crew of the Edmund Fitgerald. USCG Captain Hobaugh, Tom and the crew later received a commendation for their life saving rescue voyage. We’re thankful for their valor.
The previous piece is published in this month’s Put-in-Bay Gazette. The Gazette has been producing incredible independent Put-in-Bay island news for over 40 years. If you have any interest at all in what is happening on South Bass Island, we urge you strongly to subscribe to the Put-in-Bay Gazette. One-year online subscriptions are only $15, and print subscriptions are available as well. To subscribe please click here.
