HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) – Underwater video of some of the deepest dives on any Great Lakes shipwreck in history will highlight the 19th annual shipwreck show, “Mysteries & Histories Beneath the inland Seas”
The Holland-based Michigan Shipwreck Research Association sponsors the annual show as part of its mission to research and discover shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, then document and present their findings to the public.
John Janzen of Minnesota will present the keynote presentation entitled, “Eight Years of Diving the Carl D. Bradley”. The Carl D. Bradley was a self-unloading Great Lakes freighter that sank in a Lake Michigan storm on November 18, 1958. Of the 35 crew members, 33 died in the sinking.
Craig Rich of Michigan Shipwreck Research Association says the Bradley shipwreck is similar to what happened to the Edmund Fitzgerald.
“Big controversy. There was a huge lawsuit. Did it or did it not crack in half on the surface before it went under. It’s a little similar to the Edmund Fitzgerald story. Two survivors said ‘Yes we saw it, it cracked in half’. The stern half, the engine kept turning the and the ship ailed off and the other part sank. Of course the insurance company denied it and this went on in the courts for years.”
John Janzen and diving partner John Scoles conducted three dives to the Bradley in August 2007. They removed the original bell and replaced it with memorial bell of similar dimensions, engraved with the names of the lost crew. They were the first scuba divers to reach the stern of the Bradley. John also has worked as a diver and videographer for National Geographic and was featured in the recent Nat Geo Explorer episode “Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes.”
Also on the program is “Fire Wind and Storm” in which famed Great Lakes shipwreck hunter David Trotter presents his recent discovery and exploration of the shipwrecks of the Venus and the Montezuma. The third program is “Shipwrecks, Reality TV and the Michigan Triangle”, presented by MSRA’s Valerie van Heest who will explore how reality television shows blur the lines between history and myth for the sake of ratings.
The show is at 7 p.m. at The Knickerbocker Theater located at 86 East 8th Street. Tickets are $12.50 in advance and $15 at the door, or free with various membership levels. Go online to join the Michigan Shipwreck Society or for more details.
