Twenty people rescued after seven sailboats capsize near Belle Isle

A line of thunderstorms swept across the Detroit River on Wednesday evening, June 10, capsizing seven sailboats near Belle Isle and pulling fire crews, harbor police, and private boaters into one of the larger water rescues of the early summer.

The Detroit Fire Department was called shortly after 7:30 p.m. for reports of overturned boats and people in the water near the island. Engine 27, EMS units, and Fireboat 2, the Sivad Johnson, responded. Twenty people were aboard the seven sailboats. Twelve of them ended up in the river and were pulled out by responders.

That work was split across several boats. The Sivad Johnson took four people from the water. The Detroit Police Department Harbormaster recovered two. A private boater who was already on the river helped three more, and a vessel from a nearby boat club brought in another three. Eight people stayed aboard two sailboats that rode out the storm upright and reached shore on their own. No serious injuries were reported, and everyone who was rescued declined treatment from EMS at the scene.

The fire department credited the mix of crews and bystanders. "The team responded quickly, worked seamlessly with our public safety partners and members of the community, and helped bring everyone safely to shore," the department said.

The storm was the leading edge of a system that had been working through southeast Michigan for two days. On June 9, the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado in Freeland, in Saginaw County, with peak winds near 90 miles per hour, and an EF-0 tornado in Grand Ledge. A tornado warning was issued for central Wayne County that afternoon before the storm weakened, and severe weather prompted a ground stop at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. That front pushed east and reloaded over the river the next evening, hitting while boats were still out near the island.

Fireboat 2 carries the name of Sgt. Sivad Johnson, a 26-year veteran of the Detroit Fire Department who drowned on August 21, 2020, after he entered the Detroit River off-duty near Belle Isle to help three girls struggling in the current. The girls survived. The city named the boat for him weeks later. According to the fire department, Wednesday was the first day on the vessel for at least one of its crew members.

City officials have not released the names of those rescued, and no citations have been reported in connection with the capsizing.