By Pete Wurdock
Imagine being on a boat in the middle of Lake Superior, 17 miles north, north-west of Whitefish Point to be exact, and being told to jump into the water and start swimming. There’s no shoreline in sight and the average core temperature of Lake Superior is 40 degrees.
To most, this experience would be terrifying, while to others, it is a dream come true. In the summer of 2025 people will have an opportunity to participate in the most ambitious and daring aquatic event ever to take place on the Great Lakes. It begins at a point where 530 feet below the surface lies the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
17 teams of swimmers numbering 4 per team will participate in this event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the worst modern day maritime disaster on the Great Lakes. The relay’s final destination will be what was to be the drop point of the Fitzgerald’s cargo in Detroit on Belle Isle Beach. Once the last group arrives, a march to the Old Mariner’s Church in Detroit will take place.
Being a part of this historic event comes with a price. Anyone interested will be asked to raise a minimum of $2,500 for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, which will be in charge of the preservation project. All funds raised go directly to the non-profit society. The official fundraising campaign opens on October 15, 2024, but participants can begin fundraising immediately following their registration to get a head start on the game.
On November 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald sunk with all 29 souls on board. The Edmund Fitzgerald is a gravesite, so starting the swim above its resting site requires obtaining a special permit, as even boats are usually forbidden to pass over the wreck.
The Fitzgerald was carrying 26,000 tons of iron ore, used to make steel. Each swimmer will carry small iron ore pellets as they participate in this relay.
The course covers 411 miles and will be carried out in 17 stages, from July 26-August 28, 2025. Each team will complete a stage of the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim, taking turns swimming in 30-minute intervals near the support boat, which consists of a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain, first mate, tactical critical care paramedic, and Jim “The Shark” Dreyer (event director and world record swimmer). Executive Producer Corey Atkins is making a documentary of this event.
Event organizers explain that this is a relay, not a race. Swimmers will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis for the 68 relay positions of the swim and registration began on June 10, 2024. There are strict guidelines in place both for the safety of the participants and the crew. The organizers ask that all applicants can swim at least 1 mile continuously before resting.
Top fundraisers will receive special awards and honors in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Event, held at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on November 10, 2025.
“The backstory is even larger than the Fitzgerald when you consider over 6,000 mariners have perished in over 30,000 shipwrecks on the Great Lakes,” said event director Dreyer. “The film will outlive all of us. We’re making a mark in history with the swim; everyone is making a mark.”
There are many specific rules and guidelines put in place to ensure the safety and success of this event. For more information, visit www.edmundfitzgeraldswim.org.
