FEBRUARY 26, 2026 — U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit rescued two Canadian citizens on Lake St. Clair after they were stranded on an ice floe approximately one nautical mile north of Belle River, Ontario, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
The Great Lakes District received the initial request from Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton of the two males, who were riding their all-terrain vehicle, which became stuck on Lake St. Clair, and at 4:07 p.m. EST Sector Detroit deployed the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan.
The crew arrived on scene and hoisted a rescue swimmer down to the individuals, who were assessed and hoisted up to the helicopter.
The crew transported the 61-year-old and 65-year-old males to Windsor Airport in Ontario, Canada, to awaiting emergency medical services for further evaluation.
“We are grateful for the collaborative effort on both sides of the border to bring the survivors home safely,” said Lt. Cristina Silva, helicopter aircraft commander assigned to Air Station Feb. 25, 2026 Lt. Cristina Silva 305-934-6670/cristina.m.silva@uscg.mil Detroit. “The key factors to make this a successful rescue were the cold weather gear they were wearing and the access to communication in their time of need. This was a team effort, and I’d like to commend the crews involved in this multi-agency search and rescue case.”
For more information, contact Lt. Cristina Silva, Air Station Detroit Public Affairs Officer at 305-934-6670 or via email at cristina.m.silva@uscg.mil.
Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dillon Grimsley
U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes