The U.S. Coast Guard saved four children stranded on a rock off Lake Superior, Minnesota, on Saturday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The girls — ages 14, 13, 10, and 8 — were paddleboarding near the Black Beach Trailhead in Silver Bay, Minnesota, and lost their paddles after landing on a small island, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
“This successful rescue highlights the critical importance of interagency coordination and the rapid response capabilities of the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Aircraft Commander Lt. j.g. Patrick Grissler. “We are grateful for the collaboration with Lake County and are pleased to have safely assisted these individuals.”
The sheriff’s office received distress calls at 8:05 p.m. and dispatched the Silver Bay Police Department to the beach area to speak with the parents of the children.
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Sheriff’s deputies initially boarded the sheriff’s office boat to make their way out to the girls, but had to change vessels due to the size of the waves.
The Silver Bay Marina Manager transported the sheriff’s deputies on a former United States Coast Guard watercraft to the smaller island where the girls were stranded.
Deputies instructed the girls to remain in place as they called for backup from the Minnesota Air Rescue Team from St. Paul, Minnesota.
The latter could not make the trek due to inclement weather.
Instead, the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan, agreed to send an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to the girls’ location.
Lake County officials provided blankets and food to the girls via a rope relay while the girls waited for the military personnel to arrive.
The Coast Guard finally arrived at 1 a.m. and safely rescued the children, transporting them to a landing zone that the Silver Bay Fire Department set up.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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