MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) – The U.S. Coast Guard is reporting that high winds and waves combined to wash a Manitowoc lighthouse into Lake Michigan.
The 20-foot-tall fiberglass South Pier Light tower fell in around 8:30 a.m. on the south side of the Manitowoc Breakwater.
All that is left of the tower is its concrete base and no injuries were reported.
The Coast Guard is currently evaluating its next steps.
It remains unclear when a new beacon will be constructed to take its place.
“There’s just not a lot of traffic this time of year,” says Chief Eric Olson with the U.S. Coast Guard.
That factor may push a rebuilding project to the back burner for now.
“I think the soonest we’ll probably try to address another beacon would be the springtime,” he says. “But that’s all dependent on our engineers and funding.”
On the north pier, the larger lighthouse of the breakwater is still standing.
