Collision on Lake Superior: Cargo ship takes on water
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Great Lakes district received reports around 6:53 a.m. that a 210-meter-long vessel named Michipicoten had collided with something about 56 kilometers southwest of Isle Royale, part of the state of Michigan. The ship was carrying taconite, a low-grade iron ore, and had 22 people on board.
Authorities stated that the onboard water pumps began moving the water, and there were no signs of anything leaking from the ship. By 9:15 a.m., the water pumps had reduced the cargo’s list from 15 to 5 degrees, according to the coast guard.
Helicopter and boat crews were dispatched to the scene.
By 12:30 p.m., the Coast Guard announced that half of the people on board had been evacuated from the ship for safety reasons. The vessel was en route to a port for inspection and repairs.
Officials say the cause of the collision will be investigated.
The collision occurred in the northwest part of the lake, which straddles the border between the United States and Canada, and is the largest freshwater lake in the world in terms of surface area.