SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – A freighter in Lake Superior hit something underwater on Saturday and started taking on water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard Great Lakes district received reports about 6:53 a.m. that a 689-foot-long (210-meter-long) ship called the Michipicoten had collided with something about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of Isle Royale. The ship was carrying taconite, which is a low-grade iron ore, and had 22 people aboard.
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Water pumps onboard began displacing water, authorities said, and there were no signs that anything spilled from the ship. By 9:15 a.m., water pumps had reduced the listing of the freighter from 15 degrees to 5 degrees, the Coast Guard said.
Helicopter and boat crews were responding, the Coast Guard said.
Around 12:30 p. m. the Coast Guard said half of the people on board had been evacuated from the vessel for safety. The ship was on its way to a port for inspection and repairs.
Authorities say the cause of the collision will be investigated.
The collision occurred in the northwest part of the lake, which straddles the U.S.-Canadian border and is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area.