3 days ago
Five boaters rescued from disabled vessel in Lake Michigan
Coast Guard crews that included the Traverse City Air Station rescued five people from a disabled boat Wednesday on Lake Michigan.
A good Samaritan was credited with a call at 9:31 p.m., reporting to Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan that a nearby 55-foot vessel was in distress with five people on board, the U.S. Coast Guard report said. The vessel was losing its rudder and taking on water at the time.
The boaters were near Kewaunee, Wisconsin, which is along Lake Michigan, east of Green Bay.
In response, the agency issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast, sending the Air Station Traverse City (Michigan) MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and Station Sturgeon Bay (Wisconsin) 45-foot response crew on the water to the area.
The Great Lakes District Command Center then coordinated details with both the air and marine crews, providing position of the vehicle.
The marine crew rescued all five from the water as the helicopter crew provided aerial oversight and support.
The rescued boaters had symptoms of hypothermia and seasickness, the agency said. Once they arrived at Kewaunee Municipal Marina, they were transferred to local emergency medical services for evaluation. "The swift, coordinated response to last night's boating emergency was a result of countless hours of training to include training with station personnel and assets like Station Sturgeon Bay," Lt. j.g. Nicholas Betts, Air Station Traverse City Public Affairs Officer said in Thursday's report.
