UNDAUNTED

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Tug stuck between ice floes

A Coast Guard crew and the crew of a good Samaritan tug helped the "Undaunted" to break free from between two ice floes 20 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge in the vicinity of White Shoal Light in Lake Michigan early on Dec 20, 2013. The tug was pushing the unloaded barge Pere "Marquette 41" at the time of the incident. At about 4:10 a.m., an SAR controller at Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie was contacted by the "Undaunted", reporting that they were stuck in between ice floes. The crewmember vessel was drifting towards White Shoal Light and estimated that they would run aground within 2 hours. The SAR controller immediately responded by issuing an urgent marine information broadcast, which is a broadcast that asks any boaters or other agencies in the vicinity to assist if able. At about 4:30 a.m., the crew of the tug "Joyce L. VanEnkevort", responded to the UMIB and proceeded to assist the "Undaunted". The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter "Mackinaw" was also directed to aid the Undaunted. The Mackinaw was in the lower St. Marys River near Munuscong Lake at the time. The "Undaunted" reported to the Coast Guard that it had broken free from the ice floe at about 6 a.m. The "Undaunted" rendezvoused with the Mackinaw at about 9:30 a.m., and the icebreaker escorted the tug and barge to Ludington, Michigan.