John Roen, did what was considered financially impossible and salvaged SS George M. Humphrey, which sank in a collision in 77 feet of water in the Straits of Mackinac, by first removing the ore it was carrying and then using two vessels on each side of the underwater wreck, with cables that "walked" George M. Humphrey in stages underwater (reducing the weight drastically) to shallower water where it was then pumped out and re-floated and towed out.