The official blog of the U.S. Coast Guard
LV-82, the most modern lightship of its time in the U.S. Lighthouse Service fleet, disappeared during the “White Hurricane” storm in the Great Lakes in 1913. A year later, the body of Chief Engineer Charles Butler floated to the surface, but the bodies of other crew members were never found.
Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the Great Lakes. Aids to Navigation Team Detroit keeps the 197-year-old light shining.
January and February are the most common coldest months throughout the nation. It’s a time when many Coast Guard units participate in domestic icebreaking and ice rescues. During this month-long campaign, we want to stress cold weather safety for those who may be near water or ice with the help of our National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and International Ice Patrol partners as well as various Coast Guard units.
Cmdr. Zeita Merchant assumed the duties of the commanding officer of Marine Safety Unit Chicago in July and became the first African-American female in the Coast Guard to command a marine safety unit (MSU). She is also the first female to command an MSU in the Great Lakes.
In 1915, the ‘Act to Create the U.S. Coast Guard’ was signed, merging the Revenue Cutter Service and U.S. Life Saving Service to form the modern-day Coast Guard. The merging of these two organizations formed a service whose unique capabilities would prove to be invaluable just six month later on the Great Lakes.
“This is a great success for the Shiprider program, and it comes on the heels of an operation last month in which U.S. and Canadian law enforcement exercised the very same cross-border interdiction capabilities and authorities as used for this case,” said Capt. Scott Lemasters, commander of Coast Guard Sector Detroit. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the result.”
As Escanaba moved in to pick up survivors, the men designated for this operation got the rescue equipment ready. Rednour was one of these men. Lines were cut and made ready for hauling helpless men aboard. Sea ladders were placed so that they would be readily available when needed. Heaving lines were made ready, the cargo net was dropped, ready for use, and Escanaba’s retrievers put on their rubber suits with lines made fast to them.
Despite a cold start to spring in many areas of the country, the temperatures are finally heating up. With sunny skies, many boaters are looking to get out on water for the first time this year. The warm weather is deceiving, however, as the water in many places is still dangerously cold.
Last week, the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay rescued a dog that was stranded on the ice on Lake St. Clair. The crew named him Lucky and he has since been reunited with his owners. Following his rescue, he asked us to share some tips to keep his K-9 friends safe on the ice.
Ice season is here! To ensure the safety of vessels transiting the Great Lakes, crews from around the 9th Coast Guard District began their annual buoy retrieval, Operation Fall Retrieve. Operation Fall Retrieve, which affects lighted and unlighted buoys and beacons, commenced with a goal of retrieving 1,278 navigational aids. The operation, the largest domestic ATON recovery operation in the U.S., is scheduled to be complete in late December.