Events planned to mark 50th anniversary of Morrell sinking

DETROIT (AP) - Presentations and ceremonies are planned this week to mark the 50th anniversary of the deadly sinking of the freighter Daniel J. Morrell in a Lake Huron storm.

The events marking the sinking that claimed the lives of 28 crewmen are being held in Ohio. They follow a Detroit presentation earlier this month.

The Tuesday evening event at Saybrook Banquet Center in Ashtabula, Ohio, includes a tribute to the late Dennis Hale, an Ashtabula native and the shipwreck's lone survivor. The Wednesday evening event is being held at the Fairport Public Library in Painesville.

Both events will feature bell-ringing ceremonies and presentations by Mike Fletcher, a diver, filmmaker and co-host of the "Dive Detectives" series.

The Morrell, built in 1906 in Bay City, Michigan, made more than 2,000 Great Lakes trips.