SAULT STE MARIE, Mich. — The U.S. Coast Guard continues to monitor and respond to the motor vessel Roger Blough, Tuesday, after the vessel ran aground Friday afternoon on Gros Cap Reef in Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior.
Plans continue to progress to safely free the Blough from Gros Cap Reef through the combined efforts of Canadian partners, company representatives and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Salvage divers from DonJon-Smit plan to begin an underwater survey of the vessel's hull today in an effort to identify any damage the Blough may have sustained during the grounding to ensure safe operations going forward.
A National Transportation Safety Board representative arrived last night and is assisting Coast Guard investigators to determine the cause of the grounding.
The preventative booming remains in place and a Coast Guard Auxiliary overflight is scheduled to take place early this afternoon with a Coast Guard pollution responder aboard.
Information updates will continue to be released as they become available; previous releases for this response are available: release 1, update, update 2, update 3, update 4, update 5.
Media with questions should contact Lt. Creighton Chong or Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Yaw at Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, at: 906-635-3309.