About Mike Fornes…

Mike Fornes covered the Mackinac Bridge, Grand Hotel, and both U.S. Coast Guard Mackinaw icebreakers for 26 years for several media outlets in Northern Michigan, including radio and television stations and the Cheboygan Daily Tribune.

He broke the story of Leslie Pluhar’s Yugo plummeting off the bridge for WPBN/WTOM TV 7&4 after noticing police lights on the span from the dining room window of his home on the Straits of Mackinac. The incident was named the top news story in the state of Michigan for 1989.

A frequent guest on the icebreakers, Fornes sailed with crews of both ships and saw first-hand the science of shiphandling, seamanship and icebreaking by the captains and personnel of two great ships with the same name and varying missions.

A resident of Mackinaw City, Michigan, he enjoys scuba diving and sailing among his interests in the Northern Michigan area. He is an avid guitarist.

Fornes is frequently in demand as a guest speaker and presenter to tour groups, cruise ship organizations and historical societies. He estimates that he has given more than 2,000 tours of the Mackinac Bridge and 1,000 tours of Grand Hotel from motorcoaches, cruise boats and shore-based presentations.