DETROIT (WWJ) -- A freighter carrying more than 20,000 tons of wheat to Italy has been freed more than 24 hours after running aground near Belle Isle in the Detroit River
The U.S. Coast Guard says the 623-foot freighter Barbro G ran aground at around 7:30 a.m. Monday outside Belle Isle Anchorage and has been set free with the help of three tugboats.
Coast Guard Lt. Adeeb Ahmad said in a Tuesday afternoon update crews can now take their time to get the freighter sailing again.
"This is the best case scenario for this unfortunate incident. They can take their time and refloat as slow as they need to, as long as everything is done safely," Ahmad said.
Ahmad said there was no pollution, damage, injuries or impact to commercial traffic, and the shipping channel has been reopened.
Reporting from the riverbank Tuesday morning, WWJ's Mike Campbell said the tugs were hard at work trying to free the freighter.
The freighter, carrying 21,000 tons of wheat to Italy, was anchored overnight Sunday into Monday and drifted into the Detroit River due to inoperable thrusters, according to a report from The Detroit Free Press. It was not immediately clear what caused the issue.
The Barbro G will now undergo inspections at Belle Isle Anchorage, where a third party will assess the freighter's seaworthiness. Once it's determined to be safe, the ship will continue the voyage to Italy.
Monday's incident comes a little more than six months after another freighter, the M/V Mark W. Barker got stuck in the Detroit River. That freighter ran aground near the shores of Belle Isle while carrying 21,000 tons of salt from Cleveland to Milwaukee.
