Seaman Who Helped Rescue Cedarville Crewmen Dies

ROGERS CITY, MI – The Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum would like to extend its deepest condolences to the family of Peter Hahn.

Peter and his shipmates were instrumental in saving the lives of many crewmen from the S.S. Cedarville which sank in the Straits of Mackinac.

On May 7, 1965 while passing through the Straits of Mackinac in Lake Huron, the merchant ship Weissenburg intercepted an SOS emergency call from the Cedarville which began to sink after a collision in dense fog. The Weissenburg set course for the damaged ship. Peter and his crew mates launched its lifeboats in search of survivors. In the course of 30 minutes, sailors were found and brought safely on board of the rescue ship.

Peter, a native of Hamburg Germany, passed away on April 15, 2026. Peter is survived by his wife Irma and two daughters.

Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum