- Dates
- 1957-01-24 – 1957-02-01
- Kind
- Rescue
- Where
- High Island
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- maritimetransportationdisastercommunity
- Within
- High Island
Summary
While flying the winter mail on January 24, 1957, Joe McPhillips spotted a signal that led to a helicopter response to the fish tug LaBlance stranded at High Island with a broken clutch. The men later walked across the ice to Beaver Island on February 1, dragging an aluminum rowboat.
Evidence and limits
This is a newspaper maritime-incident and response report. It does not provide a Coast Guard case file, vessel log, precise rescue chronology, tow outcome, or complete ice-navigation record.
Sources
- Reports that Joe McPhillips spotted a signal while flying mail to Big Beaver on January 24, and that a Traverse City helicopter rescue party found the fish tug LaBlance stranded at High Island with a broken clutch. Richard and Warren Townsend were aboard with Danny Anthony after sailing to bring cattle to the mainland; the men later walked from High Island to Beaver across the ice on February 1, dragging an aluminum rowboat, and were met at Donegal Bay. It does not provide a Coast Guard case file, vessel log, precise rescue chronology, or complete medical and tow outcome. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1957-02_Beaver-Beacon
- The held three-page issue scan is paired with the OCR source and confirms the High Island ice incident and response report; it does not expand the vessel, rescue, or ice-navigation record.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1957-02_Beaver-Beacon
Added 3 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “High Island ice strands the fish tug LaBlance and prompts a helicopter response, 1957”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/beaver-island-high-island-ice-tug-incident-1957/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, February 1957, “High Island Ice-Capade.” (and 1 further source listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-03. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
BibTeX for “High Island ice strands the fish tug LaBlance and prompts a helicopter response, 1957”RIS for “High Island ice strands the fish tug LaBlance and prompts a helicopter response, 1957”