Great Lake Warriors

In the heart of America, on a deadly inland sea that has claimed as many as 6,000 vessels and 30,000 lives, a way of life exists that few ever witness. Men who breathe diesel fumes and watch every step they take on shifting decks. Men who battle the elements, wrestle with runaway vessels, fight fatigue and sometimes risk all in the struggle to make a living. They are tugboat men, sailors in constant combat with the deadly storms and hazards of the Great Lakes. They are men who work against the clock, fighting thick ice forming in every direction under treacherous winter conditions, including winds that could knock an entire crew off deck in the blink of an eye. For some, it’s part of their family heritage. For others, it’s a lifelong dream. But for all of the Great Lake Warriors, it’s a life-on-the-line mission to get the job done and make it back home alive.