Cook County Sheriff's Office is raising alarm about water safety after being left to oversee a massive and dangerous swath of Lake Superior no longer patrolled by the United States Coast Guard. 

The Coast Guard closed its nearly 100-year-old station in Grand Marais this summer after a decision to consolidate with its operations in Duluth. 

"We don't have the capacity, the staff, the training or the watercraft to patrol Lake Superior," Sheriff Pat Eliasen told the Cook County Board of Commissioners last week. "We barely have the capacity to perform a rescue out there if we have to." 

"And that's, quite honestly, that's kind of iffy right now," he added.  

Seth Moore, the director of biology and environment for the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, said water rescues in the region are increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic brought more inexperienced recreational boaters to the lake. 

The area no longer patrolled by the Coast Guard stretches from Taconite Harbor near Schroeder to the Canadian border, including the waters around Isle Royal National Park. 

Moore told the board examples of the types of rescues becoming more common, including a story of a kayaker without navigational equipment attempting to reach Isle Royale, and, another incident, in which people attempted to make the journey in a pontoon boat. 

"They are inexperienced, they are buying equipment that don't know how to operate and maintain successfully and so the number of rescues that we're seeing is increasing overtime," he said. 

On Oct. 11, the county board voted unanimously in support of a letter seeking federal funding for the purchase of two watercraft for patrol and rescue operations on the lake. 

Eliasen said the sheriff's office will also likely need to create two additional staff positions dedicated to seasonal water patrol. 

"I think the federal government needs to step up here if they are stepping out," said Commissioner David Mills. "I just don't see two ways about it." 

Read the full letter here: 

Dear Senator/Congressperson,

On behalf of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Cook County Search and Rescue, and Isle Royale National Park, we are writing to express concern and request support regarding the closure of the Grand Marais Auxiliary U.S. Coast Guard Station (USCG) in Grand Marais, MN. We are seeking your support and assistance to develop the capacity to assume the recently vacated role of the USCG.

Lake Superior is the most dangerous of the Great Lakes owing to its enormous size and extremely cold- water temperatures. Each year, thousands of boaters use the ports of Grand Marais, Grand Portage, Lutsen, Tofte, and Schroeder, MN encompassing nearly 1000 square miles of Lake Superior to access Lake Superior and Isle Royale National Park.

Many recreational boaters are unprepared for the harsh conditions of the lake and lack sufficient knowledge of the lake, weather conditions, and vessel maintenance to safely recreate on Lake Superior. Numerous rescues are performed each year for vessels that are in poor maintenance, have inexperienced operators, and are in dangerous weather conditions. The Grand Portage Band of Chippewa Tribal Government has performed 6-8 rescues per year for travelers between Grand Portage and Isle Royale for many years. Cook County Search and Rescue also perform rescues on Lake Superior, increasing in numbers as the USCG ceased Grand Marais operations in 2022.

The United States Coast Guard has a burden of responsibility to the public for on-water rescues on the oceans and Great Lakes of the United States. The Grand Marais, MN Coast Guard Station has recently closed leaving on water first-responder responsibility to the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Cook County Sherriff’s Office, and the Isle Royale National Park Law Enforcement team. Our agencies currently lack the infrastructure, capacity, staffing, and financial resources to fully assume this role.

We have identified a few possible approaches to enable our tribal and local governments to assume the on-water first responder responsibilities. We will need vessels, training, and staffing to safely assume this role.

We suggest a few options:

1: Provide funding for the purchase of two new safety, rescue, and boarding vessels, to be located on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation and Grand Marais, MN Harbor to provide the resources for safe access to Lake Superior and Isle Royale National Park. Additionally, funding is needed for safety equipment, staffing, and training for on water search and rescue. We have coarsely estimated the financial need at about $2M to commence on water first responder responsibilities for this region of Lake Superior. Additionally, we estimate the annual operational costs for this responsibility at about $500k/year for staffing and vessel maintenance.

2: Facilitate an interagency transfer of suitable vessels from USCG or other federal agencies to provide the infrastructure needed. Facilitate the USCG to deliver appropriate search and rescue training techniques. Provide financial resources to contribute to the staffing needs.

We would be happy to meet with you to discuss this concerning issue of Lake Superior vessel safety and search and rescue needs in the Northern and most remote areas in the Great Lakes. The eventuality of loss of life in this portion of Lake Superior is extremely high and the weight of responsibility will fall on our governments when this occurs.

Sincerely, 

Robert Deschampe (Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal Chair) Pat Eliasen (Cook County Sherriff)
Willie Olin (Cook County Search and Rescue Director)
Mike Keyport (Cook County Emergency Management Director)
Denice Swanke (Isle Royale National Park Superintendent)