Coast Guard: 13-Foot Crack Discovered In Hull Of Michipicoten

FOX 21 has learned a 13-foot crack in the hull of the Michipicoten was found by divers in the port of Thunder Bay after the vessel took on significant water early Saturday near Isle Royale on Lake Superior.

The U.S. Coast Guard also said it may not have hit anything under Lake Superior as the agency first reported.

Instead, the 1950s vessel had some type of hull failure, according to the Coast Guard.

Courtesy: Michael Hull / Thunder Bay Port

(6/9/24: Michipicoten Emergency: U.S. Coast Guard Was Ready For ‘Worst Case Scenario’)

Twenty-two members were on board at the time of the emergency.  Half were evacuated before the ship went to Thunder Bay as a precaution.

At one point, the ship tilted 15 degrees to its side, but after pumps kicked in, it went to 5 degrees.

An exact cause of the incident is still being investigating.

The Coast Guard said crews will be tracking the path the ship made to see if there were any contributing factors, like that possible collision with something underwater.

But Coast Guard spokesperson Lorne Thomas said the accident was most likely a result of age, fatigue and stress of the vessel.

Nobody was injured.

Meanwhile, Lt. Joseph Snyder sent the following statement to FOX 21 Monday:

“The MICHIPICOTEN remains safely moored at the Keefer terminal in Thunder Bay, ON. Temporary repairs are ongoing. Divers conducted a survey over the weekend and discovered a 13 foot long crack along the bottom of the vessel. Although a collision with a submerged object has not been ruled out, the current cause of the crack is expected to be fatigue or structural failure. The US coast guard continues to collaborate closely with Transport Canada during the investigation. A thorough understanding of the cause of the damage likely won’t occur until the vessel has unloaded cargo and been examined at a dry dock.”