The Canadian freighter Manitoulin, a 660-foot vessel, found itself immobilized in thick ice on Lake Erie near Buffalo, New York’s shoreline earlier this week. Seventeen crew members aboard the ship remain safe as the U.S. military, including the Coast Guard, works diligently to free the vessel. The freighter was making its way back to Sarnia, Ontario, carrying a wheat delivery when it encountered the icy obstacle on Wednesday morning.
Efforts to rescue the Manitoulin have been underway since the ship became stuck. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that around 80% of Lake Erie was covered in ice as of Thursday, posing significant challenges for navigation. In response, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay arrived in Buffalo on Thursday to assist with icebreaking operations. Crews have continued their efforts into Friday to ensure the safe release of the vessel.
Despite the challenging conditions, the crew on board the Manitoulin is reported to be in good health and well-provisioned. Footage obtained by USA TODAY showed the ship at a standstill in the middle of the lake, emphasizing the severity of the situation. Paul Angelillo, a civilian search and rescue specialist with the Coast Guard, noted the frequency of such occurrences in this region.
"It's not uncommon for this to happen when we have significant ice development," – Coast Guard civilian search and rescue specialist Paul Angelillo
The ice thickness on Lake Erie this season has been greater than usual, complicating rescue efforts. Lieutenant Junior Grade Bridgette Baldwin from the U.S. Coast Guard highlighted the limitations faced by local icebreakers and Coast Guard vessels in dealing with such dense ice.
"The situation that we are facing here on Lake Erie is that we have greater ice thickness than usual, so local ice breakers and local Coast Guard vessels don’t have the capability to break ice with that level of thickness," – U.S. Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Bridgette Baldwin
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