GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A U.S. Coast Guard crew evacuated a Lake Huron sailor in need of medical help over the weekend. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit says a crew was dispatched late Sunday night to Lake Huron near Alpena, MI. An American bulk freighter called the Walter J. McCarthy Jr. was in the area and had a 33-year-old sailor who “required immediate medical attention.”
A helicopter crew arrived on scene at 12:45 a.m. Monday and launched a rescue swimmer to help the man board the helicopter. The operation took more than two hours. The sailor was taken to Huron County Memorial Airport and then a local hospital where he was reported to be in stable condition.
“Thank you to the crew of the Walter J. McCarthy Jr. for their efforts in keeping their fellow mariner safe until we could transport the man to a higher level of care,” Air Station Detroit pilot Lt. Rachel McGhee said in a statement. “The aircrew did a phenomenal job in coordinating with all personnel involved.
A U.S. Coast Guard crew rescued an sick sailor aboard the Walter J. McCarthy Jr. on Monday, June 22, 2026, on Lake Huron near Alpena. [Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard]
