A Freighter on Its Way to Canada After Being Freed from Ice on Lake Erie
A freighter was on its way to Canada on Sunday after it was freed from ice that trapped it in a frozen Lake Erie for days, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The Manitoulin, a 663-foot (202-meter) Canadian vessel with 17 people on board, got stuck in the ice on Lake Erie on Wednesday after it dropped off a load of wheat in Buffalo, New York, and was heading back to Canada, the Coast Guard said. It was freed Saturday.
The ship wasn’t damaged, and its crew is safe, officials said. Freighters in the Great Lakes often encounter surface ice in the winter but sometimes run into ice that is too hard or thick to break through.
Get daily National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
A U.S. Coast Guard icebreaking ship had been working since Thursday to help the Manitoulin, and on Saturday, officials said a second ship arrived to help free the freighter. The Canadian Coast Guard also had a ship assisting with the effort.
Story continues below advertisement
The freighter was escorted through nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) of ice from Buffalo until it got to free water, according to Lt. Kyle Rivera of the Coast Guard.
Trending Now
-
Canada must take ‘responsibility’ for its sovereignty, defence chief says
-
‘Potentially dangerous’: health experts call Alberta covid report ‘an attempt to rewrite history’
The freighter has to travel the rest of Lake Erie and then go up the Detroit and St. Clair rivers to Canada, where it will spend the rest of the winter, Rivera told The Associated Press on Sunday.
“There is ice through other portions of the lake and the rivers, but we have another cutter that will take it through there,” he said.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter was at the scene conducting flights to monitor the situation. A third U.S. Coast Guard ship was scheduled to arrive Monday, in case the Manitoulin remained stuck.
More on Canada More videos
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Conclusion
The article concludes that the freighter, Manitoulin, was freed from the ice on Lake Erie after being stuck for days, and is now on its way to Canada. The U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, and other ships were involved in the rescue effort.
FAQs
Q: What was the name of the freighter that got stuck in the ice?
A: The freighter was named Manitoulin.
Q: How many people were on board the freighter when it got stuck?
A: There were 17 people on board the freighter.
Q: When was the freighter freed from the ice?
A: The freighter was freed on Saturday.
Q: How long did the freighter spend stuck in the ice?
A: The freighter spent several days stuck in the ice before being freed.