A Canadian freighter carrying 17 people got stuck on Lake Erie as it left Buffalo. The Coast Guard arrived on Thursday with icebreaking gear to free the vessel.
On Wednesday, the 663-foot Manitoulin was returning to Sarnia (Ontario) after dropping off a wheat load when it got stuck in the ice rapidly forming at sub-zero temperatures near Buffalo. The ice remained on the lake until Thursday, creating an impressive sight, with ice and snow on all sides.
“We haven’t experienced a bad winter for a long time.” “Now that we have had a bad winter people are wondering what’s happening,” said Paul Angelillo a search-and-rescue specialist with the Coast Guard.
He said that Great Lakes cargo ships are usually able to navigate the surface ice during winter but sometimes encounter ice too thick or hard to break through.
The Coast Guard reported that the Manitoulin was not damaged, and both the captain and crew were safe. By Thursday, a Coast Guard cutter had begun breaking up the ice surrounding the ship.
