A 55-year-old snowmobiler stranded on ice near Mackinac Island, Michigan, was rescued during blizzard conditions on Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Coast Guard officials said the man became lost while operating a snowmobile near the island, which sits in the Straits of Mackinac between Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas.
Blizzard conditions complicated the response, as one of the biggest snowstorms of the winter pelted the Midwest.
Aerial attempts to rescue the man were "unfavorable and unsuccessful," so the Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw was diverted to the area and coordinated with local first responders as crews worked to pinpoint the snowmobiler's location. As the Mackinaw approached, the cutter reported spotting the man and deployed an ice rescue team.
A snowmobiler stranded on the ice shortly before being rescued on Sunday. Photo by Lt. William Erekson/U.S. Coast Guard
