Over the weekend, a 689-foot freighter began taking at the large ship that collided with an underwater object in Lake Superior near Grand Portage, Minnesota. Reportedly, 11 of the 22 individuals on board the vessel were forced to evacuate.
The ship, named The Michipicoten, was hauling taconite, a form of iron ore, and began flooding when it was several dozen miles off the coast of Isle Royale in Michigan. According to reports from the Coast Guard, there were no signs that anything from the freighter spilled into the water.
Fortunately, the ship’s pumps kicked into action when the flooding began, managing the water that began to flood the vessel. This allowed The Michipicoten to reach safety and prevented the accident from becoming much worse.
According to Lt. Joseph Snyder, a public affairs officer for the Coast Guard, “The Coast Guard was definitely prepared to respond to any worst-case scenario: capsize or sink. Fortunately the vessel was able to control the flooding enough to get safely to Thunder Bay and we didn’t end up having to go that route.”
Per Snyder, a joint investigation between Transport Canada, the Canadian transportation system authority, and the U.S. Coast Guard would occur following the incident. “The incident occurred in United States waters, the Coast Guard is obviously going to be invested in that side of things, but since it’s a Canadian flag vessel, the Canadian authorities are also going to be very invested,” he said.
Snyder continued, describing the freight and how fortunate it was that the areas of the ship that incurred the flooding were non-crucial areas. “It was carrying 16 long tons of taconite, fortunately none of its cargo entered the water and there’s been no report of pollution of any kind,” he said. “The spaces that were being flooded … essentially empty spaces, they were not spaces where the crew lived or worked and they were not areas where the cargo was.”
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes explained in an update that the Michipicoten had safely arrived at Thunder Bay, Ontario, where it was anchored. As of the writing of this article, it is currently unknown what caused the flooding.
“The 689-foot bulk carrier Michipicoten has safely anchored in Thunder Bay, Ontario, after combating flooding in Lake Superior, earlier this morning. U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes has assisted the Canadian bulk carrier Michipicoten to anchorage in Thunder Bay, Ontario, after they initially reported taking on water at approximately 7 a.m,” according to the statement from the Coast Guard.
Fortunately, there were no injuries from the incident, where the Coast Guard colluded with a National Park Service boat to bring half of the crew to safety. “The cause of the flooding is unknown at this time. Coast Guard assets involved in the response include two helicopters from Air Station Traverse City and a response boat from Station Bayfield. Although no injuries were reported on the vessel, the Coast Guard coordinated with a National Park Service boat from Isle Royale to transfer 11 of the 22 crew members aboard the Michipicoten,” the update continued.
The statement concluded, “All U.S. Coast Guard assets have been released from the scene, and the Coast Guard remains closely engaged with Canadian counterparts. The cause of the flooding and any other damage to the bulk carrier will be investigated once the vessel has moored in Thunder Bay.”
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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