Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Free at last.
The 663-foot lake freighter Manitoulin was freed from the growing Lake Erie ice field Saturday after four U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard vessels led the way in breaking the ice.
"The Manitoulin is underway," was the marine VHF radio transmission heard shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday, announcing the end of a days-long drama.
Hundreds of onlookers had gathered along the Buffalo waterfront Saturday to witness the icebreaking operation before the breakthrough occurred and the vessel was underway, moving at approximately 7 knots per hour.
The freighter was escorted by the three ice icebreakers through more than 20 miles of ice from Buffalo westward across Lake Erie until it got to free water Saturday night, according to Lt. Kyle Rivera of the Coast Guard.
The freighter has to travel the rest of Lake Erie and then go up the Detroit and St. Clair rivers to Sarnia, Ontario, 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.
The Manitoulin became stuck Wednesday upon leaving Buffalo after dropping a load of grain. Ever since, an extensive icebreaking operation has been unfolding.
There are 17 crewmembers aboard the vessel and there was never any concern for their safety or for a lack of supplies.
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