A Canadian freighter got caught in the ice on Lake Erie while leaving Buffalo, with 17 crew members on board. The Coast Guard responded quickly with icebreaking equipment to assist in freeing the vessel.
The 663-foot ship, named Manitoulin, had just unloaded a shipment of wheat and was on its way back to Sarnia, Ontario, when it encountered unexpectedly thick ice forming along the Buffalo shoreline due to frigid sub-zero temperatures. As it remained trapped, the sight of the vessel surrounded by ice and snow was quite striking.
Coast Guard search and rescue specialist Paul Angelillo commented on the unusual winter conditions, noting that people are surprised by the severity of the weather since it’s been a while since the area has faced such tough conditions. While Great Lakes freighters can generally navigate through surface ice, they sometimes find themselves up against ice that is simply too thick to break through.
Fortunately, the Manitoulin was not damaged, and all crew members were reported safe. By Thursday afternoon, crews were working to clear the ice around the ship to help get it back on its way.
