A 689-foot ship began taking on water after colliding with an underwater object in Lake Superior on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said.
The massive freighter, known as the Michipicoten, was carrying taconite — a low-grade iron ore — about 35 miles southwest of Michigan’s Isle Royale when it hit the obstacle, Fox News reported.
The USCG received a report at around 6:53 a.m. local time, hearing that 22 people were on board. Half needed to be evacuated “for safety,” officials said in a press release.
The nearly thousand-foot bulk carrier Edwin H. Gott, owned by the Great Lakes Fleet, accompanied the Michipicoten along with USCG boats, helicopters, and other official vessels to anchorage in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The Michipicoten is owned and operated by Canadian shipping firm Lower Lakes Towing, according to the Marine Traffic database.
The USCG said there was no sign of anything from the boat contaminating the water, and that the cause of the damage is under investigation.
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