Laker Michipicoten takes on water after underwater collision near Isle Royale – Duluth News Tribune

NEAR ISLE ROYALE — The Michipicoten, a 689-foot laker, took on water after a collision with something underwater on Lake Superior, 35 miles southwest of Isle Royale.

The U.S. Coast Guard, sharing the information on its USCG Great Lakes account on social media platform X, said the incident occurred at 6:53 a.m. Saturday and that 22 people were on board.

The Coast Guard also said a helicopter from Traverse City, Michigan, and boat crews from Bayfield were en route to the scene.

In an update to X at 11:29 a.m., the Coast Guard said half of the 22-person crew had been removed from the ship for safety reasons.

According to the update, the Michipicoten was currently heading to a nearby port to conduct inspections and make repairs, and the Edwin H. Gott was alongside the Michipicoten. U.S. Coast Guard, Border Patrol and National Park Service vessels remain actively involved.

The cause of the flooding and any other damage will be investigated once the situation has stabilized.

In earlier updates on

There are pumps on the ship to remove some of the water and there are currently no signs of a spill, according to the Coast Guard.

No injuries were reported.

This story was updated at 12:28 p.m. June 8 with updates from the Coast Guard. It was originally published at 10:40 a.m.

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