DETROIT – The United States Coast Guard is working on a plan to free a massive freighter stuck in the Detroit River.
The ship has been stuck since Monday (Nov. 27) morning near the Belle Isle anchorage.
The Coast Guard’s plan will be implemented on Tuesday at 8 a.m. when crews will resume their efforts. They’re also hoping to dive deeper into why the ordeal occurred.
“For such an unfortunate incident, we’re very thankful that there are no injuries, the crews safe, there’s no impact to the environment,” said Adeeb Ahmad.
Ahmad, a lieutenant with the U.S. Coast Guard on the 623-foot freighter, is currently stuck in the Detroit River.
“Currently, the reflow plan is to free the vessel,” Ahmad said. “It’s been approved, and it’s going to commence tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. The reason being is due to safety reasons for night operations and the weather.”
The freighter was heading to Italy with 21 thousand tons of wheat from Thunder Bay, Ontario. It’s believed the anchor somehow ended up dragging, resulting in a damaged bow thruster, leaving the vessel inoperable and an up close and personal view of the ship for spectators.
“I thought I’d come down here and get a few pictures of her,” said Kenneth Borg.
“This is the first time I’ve seen it this close, and I had to get out of the car and see what was going on,” said Kenny Holloway.
Once the freighter is refloated, the investigation begins to determine the exact cause of the anchor dragging. It turns out Monday’s incident wasn’t the first vessel to go aground recently. The Coast Guard will now work with the Army Corps of Engineers to determine why.
“The two groundings that happened this year in the same area, the causes are not similar,” said Ahmad. “The Coast Guard is not concerned about it. However, the survey will continue to determine if there’s any need for additional dredging.”
Local 4 learned that two tug boats tried moving the freighter with no luck all day Monday. More may be coming on Tuesday to ensure that it is properly moved.
