AP, BUFFALO, New York
The US and Canadian coast guards on Saturday continued efforts to break up ice and free a freighter that has been trapped in a frozen Lake Erie for days, officials said.
The Manitoulin, a 202m Canadian vessel with 17 people on board, got stuck in the ice on Lake Erie on Wednesday after it dropped off a load of wheat in Buffalo, New York, and was heading back to Canada, the US Coast Guard said.
The ship was not damaged, and its crew is safe, officials said.
The US Coast Guard cutter Bristol Bay, left, breaks ice on Lake Erie, near Buffalo, New York, around the freighter Manitoulin on Friday.
Photo: AP
Freighters in the Great Lakes often encounter surface ice in the winter, but sometimes run into ice that is too hard or thick to break through.
A US Coast Guard icebreaking ship had been working since Thursday to help the Manitoulin, and on Saturday officials said a second ship arrived to help free the freighter.
The Canadian Coast Guard also had a ship assisting with the effort.
A US Coast Guard helicopter was at the scene conducting flights to monitor the situation, while a third US Coast Guard ship was scheduled to arrive today, in case the Manitoulin remains stuck.
