Laker accident claims life of Michigan man

A Michigan man died Sunday after being injured on an ore boat in Lake Superior.

Denton Heske, 61, was caught in the 1,000-foot ore boat’s conveyor belt system and crushed between a belt and a roller while performing repairs with two other workers, according to a news release from the Bayfield County Sheriff’s Office.

At around 9:15 a.m., the Bayfield County Sheriff’s Department received a call from the Bayfield Coast Guard Station requesting Emergency Medical Technicians from the Bayfield Ambulance service ride with them to a reported accident aboard the Stewart J. Cort, which was about 10 miles northwest of Devil’s Island in Lake Superior.

Once the Coast Guard and EMT’s arrived, they found the ship’s staff doing CPR on Heske. CPR had been started immediately and had been ongoing for about an hour. Heske was lowered by crane to the Coast Guard boat and EMTs continued CPR. A short time later, medical control for the ambulance service advised them to stop.

The Bayfield County Sheriff’s Department, along with the Bayfield County Coroner’s Department and the Coast Guard Duluth Station conducted an investigation into the cause and manner of death. It was determined that no foul play was involved and this was an accidental death.

Denton Heske was from Harrison, Mich.

Tags: lake superior, news, ship, death