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Tanker that ran aground in Detroit River successfully refloated, Coast Guard says

By Jack Nissen
Published  November 28, 2023 3:02pm EST
Great Lakes
FOX 2 Detroit

Dislodging stuck freighter in Detroit River no easy task, experts say

It took more than a day, but the large ship that ran aground in the Detroit River has finally been refloated. It required three tug boats and the right kind of weather before the large freighter was finally freed.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The tanker that ran aground in the Detroit River while en route to Italy has been successfully refloated, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Great Lakes division of the coast guard had spent more than a day attempting to dislodge the massive tanker from its location near Belle Isle. Crews will now assess any damage to the ship before deciding on whether it should move onward with its journey.

Named the Barbro G, its cargo is 21,000 tons of wheat. It was bound for Europe when it got stuck Monday morning. Dislodging the ship required multiple tug boats.

Freighter remains stuck in Detroit River

A freighter stuffed with 21,000 tons of wheat is still sitting in the middle of the Detroit River. it's going to take several tugboats and the Coast Guard to get the massive ship moving again.

"The BARBRO G has been successfully refloated & will now securely anchor nearby. A 3rd-party class society will assess the ship’s sea-worthiness to decide if it can proceed on its journey to Italy," wrote the coast guard Tuesday afternoon. "Investigators continue their inquiry into cause of initial grounding."