CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Coast Guard has announced that it will no longer operate the seasonal station North Superior in Grand Marias, Minnesota, or the seasonal station in Holland, Michigan. Instead, the Coast Guard will consolidate crews and assets at stations in Duluth, Minnesota, and Grand Haven, Michigan.
The North Superior and Holland stations have been seasonally staffed during the summer since 2018. Since 2010, the station in Holland has averaged about 24 cases per year, compared to Lake Michigan’s average of 600-700 cases per year. In the past decade, the North Superior station has averaged less than one case per year. In total, the Great Lakes averages about 2,000 cases per year.
“We would not consolidate these stations if we thought it would increase the risk to boaters or the maritime industry,” said Lieutenant Paul Rhynard, public affairs officer for the Ninth Coast Guard District. “This decision was made after careful research and with the safety of the public as our top priority. Modern boats, aircraft and strong partnerships with other search-and-rescue agencies allow us to eliminate redundancies and ensure the best use of limited resources.”
At this time, no other stations have been selected for consolidation.
