AUGUST 19, 2025 – Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City rescued four children who were stranded on a rock on Lake Superior near the Black Beach Trailhead in Silver Bay, Minnesota on Aug. 17, 2025.
Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes received a request for helicopter assistance at approximately 9 p.m., from Lake County, Minnesota, reporting that the individuals were unable to safely disembark the rock due to hazardous conditions.
The air station dispatched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to the location of the incident.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Lorenzo Giambanco, an aviation maintenance technician, on his first rescue, formed part of the crew that successfully hoisted all four individuals from the rock and transported them to awaiting Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel and the children’s parents in a nearby field.
“This successful rescue highlights the critical importance of interagency coordination and the rapid response capabilities of the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Lt. j.g. Patrick Grissler, Aircraft Commander. “We are grateful for the collaboration with Lake County and are pleased to have safely assisted these individuals.”
For more information, please contact Lt. j.g. Nicholas Betts, Air Station Traverse City Public Affairs Officer at 231-922-8273 or via email at Nicholas.T.Betts@uscg.mil
Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Omar Faba
U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes District
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