DULUTH, Minn. — A large ship taking on water in Lake Superior has been safely anchored in Thunder Bay.
The ship began taking on water after hitting something underwater in Lake Superior.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it received the report shortly before 7 a.m. The 689-foot freighter Michipicoten, which was carrying taconite, struck the object about 35 miles southwest of Isle Royale.
The Michipicoten has pumps on board that crews use to move water. The Coast Guard said that as of Saturday morning there were no signs of a spill.
Around 8:15 a.m., officials said Michipicoten had dropped back from 15 degrees to 5 degrees.
Jeff Leech
Half of the 22-person crew were removed from the ship for safety reasons. Another cargo ship, the Edwin H Gott, is next to the Michipicoten, the Coast Guard said.
Taconite is a low-grade iron ore that, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, is mined from the Mesabi Iron Range near Hibbing and transported from Duluth to various ports in the Great Lakes region.