The US Coast Guard cutter Hollyhock was breaking through ice west of the Straits of Mackinac on the morning of January 5, 2014, to establish a path for six merchant vessels heading west into Lake Michigan when it ran into thicker ice and had difficulty continuing ahead. The 1,004-foot-long Mesabi Miner, the first merchant vessel in the convoy, was unable to slow quickly enough to avoid striking the stern of the Hollyhock at 1042. No injuries or pollution resulted from the accident. Both vessels sustained significant damage but remained operational.
The probable cause of the collision between the United States Coast Guard cutter Hollyhock and the bulk carrier Mesabi Miner was the lack of effective communications between the two vessels’ bridge teams during icebreaking operations, which resulted in an insufficient amount of time to take action to avoid a collision.
