Mystery as freighter collides with 'underwater object' in Lake Superior (2024)

An investigation has been launched after the hull of a large cargo ship was mysteriously damaged, and the Coast Guard said it hit "something" beneath the waters of Lake Superior.

The ship was partially flooded and listed to one side.

Officials at the U.S. Coast Guard have confirmed that the Michipicoten, a 689ft Canadian bulk carrier that was transporting a shipment of low-grade iron ore taconite, had gotten into difficulty on Saturday morning, but said: "The cause of the flooding is unknown at this time."

Half of the 22-strong crew were evacuated during the incident, but no one was injured and the vessel is now safely anchored in the Canadian city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The freighter will be moved again when it's safe to do so and it will undergo repairs. An investigation is now underway into what, if anything, struck the vessel.

Lorne Thomas, external affairs division chief for the Ninth Coast Guard District, was quoted by CNN as saying that investigators will probe whether the hull was damaged by running aground, hitting a fixed or floating object, suffering a hull failure, or perhaps a combination of various factors.

But, earlier, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Great Lakes had posted on social media site X (formerly Twitter) as the incident unfolded. The agency said the ship had struck "something underwater."

"#HappeningNow #News - #USCG received report at 6:53 a.m. from 689' M/V MICHIPICOTEN w/ 22 POB, that they allided with something underwater and are taking on water, approx. 35 miles SW of #IsleRoyale #LakeSuperior," the account said, adding that boat crews were "en route." The word "allided" is a nautical term meaning to strike a stationary object.

The ship had departed from Two Harbors, Minnesota, on Friday bound for Thunder Bay in Canada. The freighter reported flooding to the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes shortly before 7 a.m. on Saturday and the crew was forced to use water pumps to displace the floodwater. Their actions managed to reduce the listing from 15 degrees to 5 degrees by 9:15 a.m.

Lt. Joseph Snyder, a public affairs officer for the Coast Guard, told the The Detroit News: "Fortunately the vessel was able to control the flooding enough to get safely to Thunder Bay [...] fortunately none of its cargo entered the water and there's been no report of pollution of any kind." He added: "The spaces that were being flooded, essentially empty spaces, they were not spaces where the crew lived or worked and they were not areas where the cargo was."

A USCG report about the incident, published by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), explained what had happened after officers received reports of flooding on board. "Coast Guard assets involved in the response include two helicopters from Air Station Traverse City and a response boat from Station Bayfield.

"Although no injuries were reported on the vessel, the Coast Guard coordinated with a National Park Service boat from Isle Royale to transfer 11 of the 22 crew members aboard the Michipicoten.

"All U.S. Coast Guard assets have been released from the scene, and the Coast Guard remains closely engaged with Canadian counterparts. The cause of the flooding and any other damage to the bulk carrier will be investigated once the vessel has moored in Thunder Bay."

The incident has sparked speculation online about the possible unidentified submerged object (USO), the nautical equivalent of a UFO.

X users posted various theories online, many of them tongue-in-cheek, as they discussed the incident. "The water 35 miles SW of Isle Royale is 600 ft deep. I wonder what the Michipicoten collided with underwater?" one wrote. Another commentator responded: "Maybe Elon's rescue sub," referring to a submarine created by mogul Elon Musk. Another suggested the bottom of the lake was a watery "graveyard" for abandoned cars.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard by email seeking further information and an update on the investigation.

It's not the first time that a USO mystery has gripped ocean fans.

In April, a wave modeling website suggested a huge underwater object was moving at incredible speeds alongside the African coast. Some thought the shape could be an underwater alien spaceship, or a giant sea monster, but Newsweek later revealed the anomaly was simply an error on the data model.

The ship is listed on VesselFinder as a self-discharging bulk carrier that was built in 1952.