Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter dispatched from Traverse City lands on a baseball field in Gurney Tuesday morning after rescuing three adults and three children who were stranded overnight on the shore of Lake Superior near Marble Point. Besides being cold and wet, the individuals, as well as the family dog, Manny, came out of the ordeal uninjured.
SAXON, Wis. - Six people are safe after the U.S. Coast Guard and local personnel rescued them Tuesday after they became stranded on the shores of Lake Superior in northern Iron County.
The Ashland County Sheriff's Office contacted the Iron County Sheriff's Office at approximately 5:45 a.m. Tuesday about three adults, three children and a dog stranded on Marble Point.
One adult and two of the children were stranded after hiking east along the shore from the Madigan beach area Monday, according to a news release from Iron County Sheriff Paul Samardich.
"Apparently, an effort to recover the party overnight from Odanah by boat was unsuccessful when the boat took on water and was grounded in the rocky area on Marble Point, adding two adults and one child to the group needing assistance," Samardich said in the release.
At least one of that rescue party had been with the group hiking and was sent to get a boat to get them off the shore, one of those rescued later told the Daily Globe.
ICSD deputies responding to the scene called out Hurley Rescue and the Saxon-Gurney Volunteer Fire Department, according to Samardich, and a staging area was set up at the intersection of Birch Hill Road and Graveyard Creek Road.
Hurley Rescue, along with a warden with the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, worked west from near Graveyard Creek as part of the rescue.
Ultimately, it was determined the safest rescue was to use a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and one was dispatched from Traverse City, Mich., according to Samardich.
The helicopter successfully located and retrieved the stranded party and a landing zone was set up at the Gurney ball field.
The party was examined by Saxon-Gurney first responders and Beacon Ambulance personnel and medically cleared.
"Aside from being wet and cold, there were no injuries reported. The party relayed that they were able to build a fire and temporary shelter overnight, and thanked all agencies involved in their rescue," Samardich said.
-Daily Globe staff
