A dramatic rescue unfolded on Sunday as the U.S. Coast Guard saved a 55-year-old snowmobiler who was stranded on precarious ice near Mackinac Island, Michigan. The man had become disoriented amid blizzard conditions, according to officials.
Rescue teams located the snowmobiler approximately a mile west of Sunset Rock. The operation was coordinated after a distress signal was picked up, prompting a collaborative response from local first responders and Coast Guard units.
Mackinac Island Fire Department Chief, Jason St. Onge, reported that the man had previously been cautioned against traveling across the ice on Lake Huron but chose to proceed regardless.
Rescuers faced perilous conditions characterized by deep snow drifts, jagged ice, and severely limited visibility, which made reaching the man a challenging endeavor.
A snowmobiler found himself adrift on an ice floe in Lake Huron on Sunday, March 15, 2026, near Mackinac Island, Michigan. (Photo courtesy of Lt. William Erekson/U.S. Coast Guard)
Chief St. Onge shared on Facebook that the individual had been instructed to use his GPS to navigate towards the responding firefighters. Unfortunately, the man soon reported encountering open water, rendering further progress impossible.
A Coast Guard icebreaker, Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB-30), was diverted to the scene and ultimately spotted the man before deploying a rescue team onto the ice.
The man and his snowmobile were brought aboard the vessel, where he received medical care and was reported to be in stable condition.
A U.S. Coast Guard member assigned to Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB 30) assists in hoisting a snowmobile from ice near Mackinac Island, Michigan, on March 15, 2026. (Lt. William Erekson/U.S. Coast Guard)
Video of the rescue shows the Cutter Mackinaw’s crane hoisting the snowmobile off a drifting piece of ice as the slab steadily shrinks beneath it before the vehicle is lifted safely onto the vessel.
“Today’s response was a phenomenal team effort in saving a person in distress,” said Lt. William Erekson, assistant operations officer aboard the Mackinaw. “All hands played a pivotal role, to include a challenging ice rescue deployment in harsh weather, seamless ship-wide execution, and superb coordination with Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes; this case is a powerful reminder that when lives are on the line, the Coast Guard stands ready to respond.”
U.S. Coast Guard ice rescue team members assist an individual to safety during a rescue near Mackinac Island, Michigan, on March 15, 2026. (Lt. William Erekson/U.S. Coast Guard)
MIFD Chief St. Onge said it took firefighters almost 40 minutes to walk 2,000 feet back to shore due to the extreme conditions.
“The ice is no joke, not an inland lake or a mill pond, conditions can and do change by the minute,” he wrote on social media. “Not one entity endorses the ice nor is anyone in charge of its safety or security. Each and every trip is CROSS AT YOUR OWN RISK. In this particular case it was cross at the First Responders risk.”
