BARAGA COUNTY, Mich. (WZMQ) – DNR officers returned a family of five from L’Anse safely to shore Tuesday night after their 31-foot sailboat became stuck on rocks in Keweenaw Bay.
The family was sailing on Lake Superior from the Portage Canal in Houghton County to the L’Anse Marina in Baraga County—roughly a 15-mile trip across Keweenaw Bay. They became stuck about halfway into the trip and immediately called 911 for help.
Within 30 minutes of receiving the call, Michigan DNR Conservation Officers Brian Lasanen and Cody Smith launched an 18-foot Lund DNR patrol boat from the Baraga County Marina. The officers located the family about six miles from the shore, northeast of the Sand Point Lighthouse.
The family was in good condition and was transported safely back to the Baraga County Marina. Aside from being stuck, the boat was also in good condition and did not pose any environmental risks. A salvage company will remove the vessel.
With the summer boating season officially here, the DNR reminds all boaters to keep boating safety in mind. Regardless of operating on inland or the Great Lakes, keep these safety tips in mind:
- Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Situations on the water can happen much too fast to reach and put on a stowed life jacket.
- Always ride with an operator who has completed an approved boater safety course. In Michigan, boater safety certificates are needed by anyone born after June 30, 1996, operating a motorized boat, or anyone born after Dec. 31, 1978, operating a personal watercraft, like a Jet Ski. Most states require a boater safety certificate for boat or personal watercraft rentals.
- Make sure your boat is in good working condition and prepared with the necessary equipment, including a flotation device for each person on board.
- File a float plan with someone you trust. Include details about the trip, boat, others on board, towing or trailer vehicle, communication equipment, and emergency contacts.
- Check the weather, including the water temperature, and monitor changing conditions.
- Boat sober. Where the primary cause was known, alcohol was listed as a leading factor in boating-related deaths.
- Beware of carbon monoxide poisoning. Gasoline-powered engines on boats, including onboard generators, produce carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas that can poison or kill someone who breathes too much of it. Install and maintain a working CO detector, never block exhaust outlets, and always dock, beach, or anchor at least 20 feet away from any boat running a generator or engine.
- Keep in touch. Communication devices, such as marine radios, can be your most important piece of emergency equipment.
- On the Great Lakes, be aware of orange flags and buoys, which indicate commercial fishing nets placed under the surface of the water. Keep a distance of at least 500 feet. If your boat becomes entangled in a net, immediately turn off the engine and use wire cutters to cut the net. For more information, refer to Nets of the Great Lakes.
Visit Michigan.gov/RecreationalSafety for information on earning your boating, hunting, snowmobile, or off-road vehicle safety certificate. The DNR was assisted in its rescue by members of the U.S. Coast Guard.
