The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a man clinging to a buoy in Lake St. Clair after his recreational boat collided with a Canadian cargo vessel.
The Coast Guard responded to the crash between the 17-foot recreational boat and a 406-foot cargo vessel about two miles offshore east of Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., on Sunday morning.
The master of the involved cargo vessel, the Esta Desgagnes, a Canadian-flagged vessel home-ported in Quebec, immediately hailed the Coast Guard to report the collision and that the operator of the recreational vessel was in the water.
A rescue crew from Coast Guard Station St. Clair Shores launched a response boat and found the operator of the recreational boat clinging to a buoy.
He was uninjured, but his boat was damaged and sank just outside the channel.
“We were relieved to be able to recover the small boat operator unharmed,” said Lt. Ben Chamberlain, a command duty officer for Coast Guard Sector Detroit. “It is our hope that recreational boaters will maintain situational awareness to avoid these kinds of scenarios when enjoying the beauty of the Great Lakes.
U.S. Coast Guard investigators are currently investigating the cause of the collision.
The Coast Guard reminds the boating public to stay well clear of cargo vessels on the Great Lakes and river systems.
Officials say the large vessels are typically restricted in their maneuverability due to their deep drafts and can only operate in marked navigational channels.
Recreational boaters should be fully aware of their own vessel’s capabilities and limitations, as well as the depth of water where they intend to transit.
The coast guard is also reminding boaters to wear their life jackets.
