All the stuck ships have been freed and boat traffic is starting to resume in the icy St. Clair River.
Carol Launderville, a communications officer for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said Canadian and American Coast Guard ships are busy icebreaking and escorting commercial ships through the ice on the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair.
“Together, the two agencies were able to free all five ships that were stuck in the ice,” Launderville said. “Officers and crew aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Griffon and the Canadian Coast Guard ship Samuel Risley are working closely with their colleagues aboard three United States Coast Guard cutters – the Neah Bay, the Bristol Bay and the Hollyhock.”
Launderville said vessel traffic is starting to move again with some restrictions in place.
“Ships that had been waiting to travel downbound from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River started moving early this morning and finally entered Lake St. Clair in the afternoon, with vessel traffic slowly entering the river system as directed by the Coast Guard,” she said.
“It is anticipated that the downbound vessel transits will assist with ice flow and help management of ice congestion in the area. Once all downbound vessel transits have been completed, the vessels waiting in the Detroit and Windsor area will proceed upbound.”
Launderville said in Sarnia, officers at the Coast Guard’s Marine Communications and Vessel Traffic Services Centre are providing communications support.
“This includes the transfer of information to Coast Guard icebreakers and commercial vessels,” she said. “As well, MCTS Officers continue to collect and distribute ice information for mariners.”
Submitted Photo: The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley escorts the freighter H. Lee White on the St. Clair River on Tuesday, January 13, 2015. Photo courtesy of Kelly Murray aboard the CCGS Griffon.
