HARRISON TWP. (WWJ) – The Macomb County Sheriff's Department unveiled its new Marine Division Headquarters on Sunday, located along the easternmost peninsula of the island of Harrison Township on Lake St. Clair.
But it's what happened following the event that captured the headlines — an excavator in the area brought down a live power pole, leaving county officials and reporters who attended the unveiling of the new building stuck for nearly two hours.
The new headquarters building, located at the end of S. River Road, next to the Michigan DNR building, only has one way in and one way out.
"This excavator is hooked around this power pole — this power pole is live," WWJ's Ryan Marshall reported from the scene, noting any cars in the area were unable to pass the scene shortly after the incident.
DTE crews eventually cut the power and removed the poles, allowing the long line of traffic to finally pass through, shortly after 5 p.m.
The Macomb County Marine Division headquarters was built in 1974 and the 5,300-square-foot facility was last updated in 1985. The age and state of the current facility required a new site be built in its place.
Construction on a new $10.4 million headquarters began in late summer 2022, with the 14,000-square-foot facility featuring administrative offices, dispatch, locker rooms, a boat garage with five adjustable boat wells, a maintenance garage with dive team facilities, a new emergency generator and a lightning protection system.
