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Power failure leaves freighter traveling on Detroit River stranded near Belle Isle

Freighter stalled around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday

DETROIT – A 640-foot-long Great Lakes freighter made an unexpected visit to Belle Isle on Wednesday after losing power in the Detroit River.

Fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries or any pollution to the water from the freighter stalling out.

The large freighter ran aground around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday near Belle Isle, attracting dozens of curious spectators with cameras in hand.

“It’s not often you can come down and see a ship 20 feet offshore,” said Michael Hurd.

According to the owner of the freighter, the Mark W. Barker, was carrying salt from Cleveland, headed to Milwaukee. And it lost power and maneuverability.

The vessel turned to the left unexpectedly. The captain dropped the anchor, and this was the end result. The freighter stuck in dirt.


Videos: Freighter has run aground in Detroit River near Belle Isle


“I was in the shipping industry, and I heard about it. My friend was down here earlier this morning and caught it. So I said I’ll come down and take some pictures of it and see how they pull her out,” said Mike Pipia, who came over to Belle Isle to see what all the commotion was about.

The Mark W. Barker set sail for the first time last summer. It’s the first Great Lakes bulk carrier to be built on the Great Lakes in more than 35 years.

Around noon on Wednesday, working with the United States Coast Guard and a tug, the freighter backed away from the bank and headed toward the Belle Isle Anchorage to determine what went wrong.

With the freighter out of sight, the crowd quickly cleared out.

“We worked closely with all relevant parties to ensure the safety of our waterways and the prompt resolution of this incident.

The successful refloating of the Mark W. Barker highlights our commitment to maintaining the safety and continuity of our maritime transportation system.”

Lt. j.g. Adeeb Ahmad, Sector Detroit’s public affairs officer -- May 17, 2023

About the Author
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Will Jones rejoined the Local 4 News team in February 2023 as a weekend anchor and reporter. He previously worked as a general assignment reporter for the station from 2012 to 2015.

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