In a remarkable discovery, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) has announced the finding of a WWII-era ship at the bottom of Lake Superior, nearly eight and a half decades after its mysterious disappearance. The 244-foot bulk carrier, named the Arlington, vanished during a ferocious storm in May 1940 while carrying wheat from Port Arthur, Ontario to Owen Sound.

The intriguing discovery came to light when shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain detected an abnormality in remote sensing data. In 2023, Fountain and GLSHS Director of Marine Operations Darryl Ertel, along with the crew of the R/V David Boyd, embarked on a mission to inspect the anomaly using sonar. Their findings confirmed that it was indeed the long-lost Arlington resting beneath 650 feet of water, north of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula.

The Arlington's final voyage was under the command of Frederick "Tatey Bug" Burke, an experienced captain who had sailed across Lake Superior on numerous occasions. The crew encountered rolling fog and even crossed paths with a larger freighter, the Collingwood. As darkness fell, a powerful storm brewed, leading to water accumulating inside the Arlington.

First mate Junis Macksey proposed rerouting along the Canadian North Shore for protection against the relentless wind and waves. However, in a decision that still baffles historians, Captain Burke ordered the ship to stay on course. In the early hours of May 1st, 1940, Chief Engineer Fred Gilbert alerted the crew that the ship was sinking. With no orders given to abandon ship, the crew members took matters into their own hands and jumped overboard to safety.

The Arlington's captain, Burke, chose to go down with the ship, while everyone else was rescued and brought aboard the Collingwood. The exact reason for his fateful decision remains a mystery that has puzzled historians for years.

The recently released murky underwater footage reveals the Arlington sitting partially upright, almost completely intact despite its lengthy submersion. Coral and marine life have claimed the vessel as their own, adding to its enigmatic allure.

GLSHS Executive Director Bruce Lynn emphasized the significance of teamwork in this remarkable discovery. He acknowledged the role played by Marquette resident Dan Fountain, who brought the potential shipwreck target near Copper Harbor area to the attention of GLSHS.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, a nonprofit founded in 1978 by a group of divers, educators, and teachers, has been dedicated to exploring and documenting historic shipwrecks in eastern Lake Superior. With the discovery of the Arlington, the organization hopes to provide closure to the family of Captain Burke and trace the descendants of the crew in Ontario.

The story of the Arlington now adds another intriguing chapter to the rich history of Lake Superior's shipwrecks. Thanks to the curiosity and expertise of shipwreck researchers and historians, the mystery of this long-lost vessel has finally been solved, shedding light on a dark period of wartime navigation and human resilience.