An ice shanty was discovered in the shipping channel between Duluth and Superior last week, which led to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, the Mackinaw, being sent out to investigate.

“We took it very, very carefully,” said Commander Jeannette Greene, who leads the crew of the Mackinaw. “I was very, very concerned that there was somebody in there.”

The 240-foot cutter performs ice breaking and helps navigation along with search and rescue efforts on the Great Lakes, according to the Coast Guard.

The crew of the ice breaker had to be careful not to break the ice near the small shelter in case someone was inside.

Youtuber “Vibe with Mike” captured the unique mission last week on his social media channel. He later spoke with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on the phone.

“It was just absolutely amazing to see what they did,” Mike said about the Coast Guard crew. “They are out there providing service to our country to the community, and what they do needs to be thanked every single day.”

The Coast Guard said the popup ice shelter was in a dangerous spot used by ships and vessels that use Lake Superior.

A search and rescue team from the Mackinaw went out onto the ice to investigate. Thankfully, no one was inside — just a propane heater and bait bucket.

Greene said in the end, it turned out to be just a good training exercise for the crew.

“It was a truly an awesome situation for us because we were able to get out there and train,” she said. “Think about it if it was overnight.”

Youtuber Mike was also thankful no one was inside.

“Those 1,000-foot ships that come through that channel might not have seen that and hit that,” he said.

The Coast Guard would like to find the person who owns the ice shanty to return their gear.