A 689-foot bulk carrier in Lake Superior is taking on water following a collision with an unknown object early Saturday morning.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 11 crew members on the Michipicoten have been safely evacuated from the vessel and 11 other crew members remain onboard.
“The ship is not dead in water,” said Lt. Joseph Snyder, a public affairs officer with the Coast Guard based in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.
Snyder said the ship’s onboard pumping system is keeping water out of the carrier and allowing the ship to actively travel towards Thunder Bay, Ontario to seek refuge.
Coast Guard vessels and helicopters from both Duluth, Minn. and Traverse City, Mich. have been deployed and are actively monitoring the situation in Lake Superior.
The Canadian-flagged vessel, owned by Rand Logistics, is currently hauling taconite.
This is a developing story.
