Freighter towed free after running aground in St. Clair River

A freighter that ran aground in the St. Clair River Tuesday morning was towed free that evening, says the US Coast Guard.

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The American Courage, a 188-meter (617-foot) Great Lakes freighter, ran aground near Marine City, Mich., across from Sombra on the Ontario side of the river, shortly before 7:30 am Tuesday, the coast guard reported.

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The ship was refloated about 7 pm with the help of towing vessels from Great Lakes Towing.

“There were no injuries to crew members or those that responded and no pollution was observed or reported,” the coast guard said.

The freighter was anchored north of Marine City after being towed free and was expected to dock at Marine City Wednesday afternoon.

A Coast Guard team in Detroit will verify the proper position of all navigation aids affected and the US Army Corps of Engineers will verify the shipping channel’s depth and determine whether the grounding caused any impact, the coast guard said.

The coast guard had earlier said the freighter owned by Grand River Navigation was carrying 20,000 tons of stone and the cause of the grounding was being investigated.

Shipping continued on the river Tuesday and a marine safety broadcast was issued to notify mariners to use caution in the area.

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