MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 55-year-old snowmobiler stranded on unstable ice near Mackinac Island, Michigan. He became lost in whiteout blizzard conditions after authorities received a distress signal from the snowmobiler.
The snowmobiler was located roughly a mile west of Sunset Rock. The rescue involved a multi-agency effort that included local first responders and Coast Guard crews.
The Coast Guard icebreaker Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB-30) was diverted to the scene. The Cutter Mackinaw crew deployed a rescue team onto the ice and spotted the man.
Rescuers brought the man and his snowmobile aboard the vessel. The man received medical care aboard the vessel and was reported to be in stable condition. The Cutter Mackinaw's crane hoisted the snowmobile off a drifting piece of ice before lifting it safely onto the vessel as the ice slab steadily shrank beneath it.
Mackinac Island Fire Department Chief Jason St. Onge said the individual had been warned earlier not to venture onto the ice on Lake Huron but attempted to cross anyway. Rescuers said the conditions included deep drifting snow, jagged ice, and extremely limited visibility that slowed efforts to reach the man.
"The victim was advised if he could follow his GPS to start making his way toward the advancing firefighters. Unfortunately soon after the man advised he was moving, he had run into open water and could not go any further," St. Onge said. He said it took firefighters almost 40 minutes to walk 2,000 feet back to shore due to extreme conditions.
"Today's response was a phenomenal team effort in saving a person in distress. All hands played a pivotal role, to include a challenging ice rescue deployment in harsh weather, seamless ship-wide execution, and superb coordination with Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes; this case is a powerful reminder that when lives are on the line, the Coast Guard stands ready to respond," said William Erekson, assistant operations officer on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw.
"The ice is no joke, not an inland lake or a mill pond, conditions can and do change by the minute," he said. "Not one entity endorses the ice nor is anyone in charge of its safety or security. Each and every trip is CROSS AT YOUR OWN RISK. In this particular case it was cross at the First Responders risk."