A large bulk carrier has safely arrived in Thunder Bay after it started taking on water on Lake Superior.
The 689-foot bulk carrier “Michipicoten” docked for inspection and repairs.
The U.S. Coast Guard reports 11 of 22 crew members were taken off the ship as a precaution.
The first sign of trouble came via a call for help at 6:53 a.m. on Saturday, the US Coast Guard’s Great Lakes division reported that the Michipicoten had hit something underwater just over 56 kilometres southwest of Isle Royale.
At that time, USCG dispatched helicopters and boats to assist. The ship was near Grand Portage in Minnesota when it first made a call for help.
It was reported that the ship had tilted 15 degrees towards the water but pumps on board successfully reduced the tilt to five degrees according to the Coast Guard in an update released at 9:15 a.m.
The freighter is carrying rock (taconite) and an investigation is underway into what happened.
No reports of injuries from the incident.
