Coast Guard icebreaker rescues snowmobiler stranded on ice during Michigan blizzard

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 55-year-old snowmobiler stranded connected unstable crystal adjacent Mackinac Island, Michigan, connected Sunday aft helium became mislaid successful whiteout blizzard conditions, officials said.

The antheral was located astir a mile westbound of Sunset Rock aft authorities received a distress awesome and coordinated a multi-agency effort involving section archetypal responders and Coast Guard crews.

According to Mackinac Island Fire Department (MIFD) Chief Jason St. Onge, the idiosyncratic had been warned earlier not to task onto the crystal connected Lake Huron but attempted to transverse anyway.

Rescuers said the conditions were treacherous, with heavy drifting snow, jagged crystal and highly constricted visibility that slowed efforts to scope the man.

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A snowmobiler stands stranded connected a drifting crystal floe successful Lake Huron adjacent Mackinac Island, Michigan, connected Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Lt. William Erekson/U.S. Coast Guard)

"The unfortunate was advised if helium could travel his GPS to commencement making his mode toward the advancing firefighters. Unfortunately soon aft the antheral advised helium was moving, helium had tally into unfastened h2o and could not spell immoderate further," St. Onge said successful a Facebook post.

A Coast Guard icebreaker, Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB-30), was diverted to the country and yet spotted the antheral earlier deploying a rescue squad onto the ice.

The antheral and his snowmobile were brought aboard the vessel, wherever helium received aesculapian attraction and was reported to beryllium successful unchangeable condition.

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A U.S. Coast Guard subordinate assigned to Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB 30) assists successful hoisting a snowmobile from crystal adjacent Mackinac Island, Michigan, connected March 15, 2026. (Lt. William Erekson/U.S. Coast Guard)

Video of the rescue shows the Cutter Mackinaw’s crane hoisting the snowmobile disconnected a drifting portion of crystal arsenic the slab steadily shrinks beneath it earlier the conveyance is lifted safely onto the vessel.

"Today’s effect was a phenomenal squad effort successful redeeming a idiosyncratic successful distress," said Lt. William Erekson, adjunct operations serviceman aboard the Mackinaw. "All hands played a pivotal role, to see a challenging crystal rescue deployment successful harsh weather, seamless ship-wide execution, and superb coordination with Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes; this lawsuit is simply a almighty reminder that erstwhile lives are connected the line, the Coast Guard stands acceptable to respond."

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U.S. Coast Guard crystal rescue squad members assigned to Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB 30) assistance an idiosyncratic to information aboard the cutter during a rescue adjacent Mackinac Island, Michigan, connected March 15, 2026. (Lt. William Erekson/U.S. Coast Guard)

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MIFD Chief St. Onge said it took firefighters astir 40 minutes to locomotion 2,000 feet backmost to enactment owed to the utmost conditions.

"The crystal is nary joke, not an inland water oregon a mill pond, conditions tin and bash alteration by the minute," helium wrote connected societal media. "Not 1 entity endorses the crystal nor is anyone successful complaint of its information oregon security. Each and each travel is CROSS AT YOUR OWN RISK. In this peculiar lawsuit it was transverse astatine the First Responders risk."