Michigan Returns Edmund Fitzgerald Life Ring

The state of Michigan has agreed to return a rare life ring from the sunken SS Edmund Fitzgerald to its rightful owner, Larry Orr, and pay $600,000 to settle a separate police misconduct lawsuit. Orr first found the orange life ring—stenciled with “Fitzgerald”—ashore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula shortly after the freighter sank in Lake Superior in 1975, a tragedy that claimed all 29 crew members. 

Decades later, Orr accused a state police lieutenant of violating his civil rights during a discredited sexual abuse investigation. Following his arrest and house arrest in 2019, he filed a lawsuit. During the ensuing settlement negotiations, Michigan officials unexpectedly expressed interest in acquiring the life ring. 

Orr’s attorney says tying the relic to the deal increased the settlement from around $300,000 to $600,000. After pushback over the relic’s inclusion, further talks resulted in a revised agreement: Orr gets the life ring back, and the state still pays the $600,000. 

For years, Orr loaned the ring to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Paradise, Michigan. With ownership restored, he now plans to auction it—he says he needs the funds to buy a modular home, and his wife’s car is failing. 

Key Takeaways:

Michigan settled a lawsuit with Orr for $600,000 in exchange for relinquishing a rare Edmund Fitzgerald life ring.

The life ring unexpectedly became part of the negotiation in a police misconduct case unrelated to the shipwreck.

Orr has reclaimed the relic and may auction it to fund his housing needs.

Adapted From 

https://apnews.com/article/wreck-edmund-fitzgerald-life-ring-lawsuit-f13973f83eb05abcd5a8b55e2ea58893