Half of a 22-person crew has been evacuated from a freighter taking on water in Lake Superior.

The 689-foot bulk carrier is now headed to Thunder Bay for inspection and repairs.

At 6:53 a.m. on Saturday, the US Coast Guard’s Great Lakes division reported that the Michipicoten had hit something underwater just over 56 kilometers southwest of Isle Royale.

At that time USCG dispatched helicopters and boats to assist.

The ship was near Grand Portage in Minnesota when it first announced it was in distress.

It was reported that the ship had tilted 15 degrees towards the water but pumps on board successfully reduced the tilt to five degrees according to the Coast Guard in an update released at 9:15 a.m.

The bulk carrier Edwin H. Gott is currently alongside the ship, and the US Coast Guard, Border Patrol, and National Park Service are nearby.

The ship is carrying taconite and an investigation into the cause of the flooding is planned.