The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard worked together to rescue the American freighter Arthur M. Anderson, which was stuck in the ice on Lake Erie.
The vessel, with its 10-member crew, has been stranded near Conneaut Harbor, in the deep ice since Tuesday, Feb. 17. The U.S. Coast Guard initially sent its icebreaker called Bristol Bay to rescue the stranded vessel; however, the ship itself got stuck in the ice.
The U.S. Coast Guard then received assistance from the Canadian Coast Guard, which sent Griffon, a larger icebreaker, to rescue the two stranded ships.
"The Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay, a 140-foot icebreaking tug homeported in Detroit, had previously attempted to assist the vessel but encountered ice too thick for it to break. The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Griffon worked with the Bristol Bay to break a path to Cleveland, where the Bristol Bay will refuel and return to Detroit," stated the U.S. Coast Guard.
After making a way for Bristol Bay, Griffon started its rescue operation for Anderson. The Canadian icebreaker started cutting through the ice on Saturday, Feb. 21, and managed to clear a path for Anderson by around 8:30 p.m. on the same day.
Anderson had enough food for its crew members for some additional days. However, Bristol Bay crew members ran short of food during the rescue mission, and the U.S. Coast Guard had to deliver food to the ship from a helicopter.
Anderson still has a long way ahead in the icy lake. Samuel Risley, another Canadian Coast Guard ship, will escort the American freighter to the Detroit region. Anderson is expected to arrive back at the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal in Wisconsin between Monday and Thursday. It is not unusual for a vessel to get stuck in the icy Great Lakes.
However, both the U.S. and Canada work closely and respond swiftly to emergency situations arising due to ice in the Great Lakes. Canadian officials said that Griffon and Risley have conducted more than 140 vessel escorts in the Great Lakes.
