On this day December 11, 1998, the fish tug LINDA E. never returned home. The weather that December was mild. Her three man crew had stated she was on her way in. They told the Smith Bros. foreman they were about twelve miles out with about 1,000 pounds of chub. This was at 9:45 am. Where is she? Has anyone seen her? I think we all remember this mystery.
Photo at top of page: SOLOMON JUNEAU, LINDA E. and D & S in Milwaukee, 1983
The LINDA E. was expected to arrive sometime between 4 and 5 pm. When she didn’t, no one was worried – just thought she was running late. But when Mrs. Weborg called at 8 pm stating she hadn’t heard from her husband, the Coast Guard was called and a search was immediately started.
The crew were not new to this routine. The captain and owner was Leif Weborg, 55 years of age. Longtime crewman Warren Olson, 45, and Weborg’s son-in-law Scott Matta, 32, completed the crew – all from Milwaukee’s near south side.
LINDA E. with D & S in Milwaukee, 1983
No oil slick nor debris was found on the shore or in the lake. The search included boats from Milwaukee, Sheboygan and Sturgeon Bay and aircraft from Traverse City, Milwaukee and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Nothing was found. The Coast Guard called off its search two days later.
LINDA E. with D & S in Milwaukee, 1983
On December 29, 1998, Coast Guard sonar readings showed what was thought to be the wreck of LINDA E. on the bottom of Lake Michigan. About a month later, video taken of the wreck showed it was a previously undiscovered schooner.
The Coast Guard did open an investigation. They interviewed crews from several commercial vessels that had been in the area. The tug/barge MICHIGAN/GREAT LAKES showed white paint marks on the starboard bow of the barge. This paint could not be positively matched to the LINDA E. The investigation stopped.
After the exhaustive search by the Coast Guard and the Navy in July 1999 for the lost plane of John F. Kennedy, Jr., pressure was applied to solve the LINDA E. mystery. Eventually the Navy allowed two recruiting tour ships on Lake Michigan to reopen the search.
The USS DEFENDER located the LINDA E. on June 18, 2000, in 260 feet of water.
The Coast Guard commandeered the University of Michigan’s remote operated vehicle to video the wreck and take paint samples. The video showed heavy damage. The paint scrape matched the paint on the barge. The Coast Guard concluded the tug/barge collided with and sank the LINDA E. Possible reason for collision – the LINDA E. was on autopilot while the crew were cleaning their catch and the tug/barge did not see them due to glare.
After the loss of the LINDA E., the Coast Guard required all commercial fishing vessels to carry an emergency radio beacon. This would allow rescuers to track an emergency signal activated either by the crew or when the beacon is submerged. The signal goes to a satellite. The satellite sends it to a ground station. Rescuers find the vessel.
Linda E. lighthouse located on Wentworth Ave in Bay View, Milwaukee
The LINDA E. was a well-known fish tug sailing out of Two Rivers. In the 1980s her home port was Milwaukee and she tied up in the Kinnickinnic River. She was built in 1937 by the Burger Boat Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, as the LE CLAIR BROS. for Howard and Edward Le Clair, measuring 40 feet in length and was powered by a Kahlenberg oil engine. In 1960 she was renamed LINDA E. when purchased by Leif Weborg. The Kahlenberg engine was later replaced with a Cummins diesel.
Suzette Lopez
Photo Credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
