Quick Facts
Vessel Name: Fitz Simons & Connell Dredge No. 6
Type: Dredge
Specs: 110ft (L) × 40ft (B) × 11ft (D)
Construction: Steel
Year Built: 1912
Home Port: Milwaukee, WI
General Era: Late industrial–early modern maritime era
Vessel Service: Dredging
Date of Loss: May 23, 1956
Cause of Loss: Foundered in a storm
Location: Lake Michigan, ~6.8 miles SSE of Milwaukee
Coordinates: 42° 58.106′ N, 87° 47.209 W
Depth Range: 30 to 70ft (9.1 to 21.3 m)
History & Story
Fitz Simons & Connell Dredge No. 6 — sometimes incorrectly listed in later sources as “Dredge 906” — was a 686-gross-ton crane dredge built for harbor and inland waterway excavation work. The vessel featured a steel hull and steel main deck supporting a boom and dipper system designed for underwater excavation.
The superstructure was primarily wood-framed and enclosed machinery spaces and crew accommodations. Dredge No. 6 was engineered for protected-water operations and relied on large vertical spuds that were lowered to anchor the vessel to the lakebed during dredging activities. It was never meant for the potentially harsh conditions of open-water travel on the Great Lakes.
Loss: May 23, 1956
In the spring of 1956, Dredge No. 6 was engaged in excavation work associated with construction of the Oak Creek Power Plant in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The project required underwater excavation for the facility’s cooling water intake system.
On May 23, 1956, weather conditions on Lake Michigan deteriorated, with winds reported up to 55 miles per hour. As conditions worsened, Captain Martin Walsh directed the tugboat E. James Fucik to tow the dredge north toward Milwaukee Harbor, approximately 11 miles away. During the tow, heavy seas caused the dredge to take on water and develop a list. A supporting guy wire for the dipper boom failed, affecting the vessel’s stability. The dredge subsequently capsized and sank.
Nineteen men were aboard at the time of the accident. Nine crew members lost their lives.
Investigation and Aftermath
A United States Coast Guard investigation was conducted shortly after the sinking. The findings were issued within days of the incident. The investigation determined that the crew had not been evacuated while the dredge remained off Oak Creek as weather conditions deteriorated. It further concluded that towing the dredge north in worsening weather exposed the vessel to open-lake conditions beyond its intended operational design. The report noted that the dredge’s configuration — including its wooden superstructure — was suited for protected-water excavation work and not severe open-lake weather.
The loss of Dredge No. 6 and nine crew members remains one of the significant maritime construction-related casualties on Lake Michigan during the mid-20th century.
Historic View
Photo by WHS, Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program
Photo Highlights
Present-Day Dive Overview
Dive Type: Recreational
Depth Range: 30 to 70ft (9.1 to 21.3 m)
Certification: This site is suitable for divers with training and scuba certification(s) appropriate for the planned depth and conditions.
Depths are approximate and may vary with lake level, seasonal and weather conditions.
The 110-foot Dredge No. 6 rests inverted in approximately 70 feet of water, creating a distinctive and visually striking dive site in Lake Michigan. The descent typically begins around 30 feet, where the down-line is secured to one of the tall spuds—once used to anchor the dredge during operations and now serving as a primary reference point for divers.
As divers descend toward the overturned structure, dredging boom and dipper machinery can be seen scattered around the exterior of the wreck, clearly visible on the lakebed beneath the hull. The dredge’s inverted orientation creates dramatic perspectives and shadowed spaces, while also requiring heightened awareness for those exploring beneath the structure.
Divers who enter the wreck can observe massive boilers and other dredging equipment that would normally be found on the deck of a working dredge, now suspended upside down. This unusual layout can be disorienting, and interior exploration requires careful movement and buoyancy control. Inside the structure, stacked coal remains visible within the coal bunkers, and one interior door still shows traces of red paint—preserved beneath the wreck where zebra mussels have attached more slowly than on exposed surfaces.
For recreational divers, Dredge No. 6 offers an accessible yet unusual dive that combines Great Lakes industrial history with a rare opportunity to explore a fully inverted dredge.
3D Interactive Model
Click the image or follow this link to explore it. 3D model by Andrew Goodman and Ken Merryman (3DShipwrecks.org), in collaboration with the Wisconsin Historical Society — CC BY-ND.