Additional Coverage:
Man Rescued After Braving Treacherous Ice Near Mackinac Island
MACKINAC ISLAND, MI – A 55-year-old snowmobiler found himself in a precarious situation on Sunday, necessitating a dramatic rescue by the U.S. Coast Guard after he became stranded on unstable ice near Mackinac Island. Officials report the man got lost amidst whiteout blizzard conditions.
The individual was located approximately one mile west of Sunset Rock following the reception of a distress signal. This prompted a swift, multi-agency response involving local first responders and Coast Guard crews.
According to Mackinac Island Fire Department (MIFD) Chief Jason St. Onge, the man had previously been cautioned against venturing onto Lake Huron’s ice but proceeded nonetheless. Rescuers described the conditions as treacherous, with deep drifting snow, jagged ice, and extremely limited visibility significantly hindering their efforts to reach him.
“The victim was advised if he could follow his GPS to start making his way toward the advancing firefighters,” Chief St. Onge detailed in a social media post. “Unfortunately soon after the man advised he was moving, he had run into open water and could not go any further.”
The Coast Guard icebreaker, Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB-30), was diverted to the scene. The crew ultimately spotted the stranded snowmobiler and deployed a rescue team onto the ice.
Both the man and his snowmobile were successfully brought aboard the vessel. He received medical attention and was reported to be in stable condition.
Dramatic video footage from the rescue shows the Cutter Mackinaw’s crane carefully hoisting the snowmobile from a rapidly shrinking piece of drifting ice, ensuring its safe transfer to the vessel.
Lt. William Erekson, assistant operations officer aboard the Mackinaw, commended the collaborative effort.
“Today’s response was a phenomenal team effort in saving a person in distress,” he stated. “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.”
MIFD Chief St. Onge further highlighted the extreme conditions, noting that it took firefighters nearly 40 minutes to walk 2,000 feet back to shore.
“The ice is no joke, not an inland lake or a mill pond, conditions can and do change by the minute,” he emphasized on social media. “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.”