A Canadian-flagged bulk carrier loaded with stone was refloated after grounding in the Detroit River near downtown Detroit, with authorities reporting no injuries, pollution or traffic disruption, according to FOX 2 Detroit.
The Robert S. Pierson, a river-class self-unloading bulk carrier operated by Lower Lakes Towing, a subsidiary of Rand Logistics, grounded late on Wednesday, 26 November, while sailing from Windsor, Ontario, to Lorain, Ohio, with about 18,000 tons of stone on board. The 630-foot, 19,000-dwt vessel came ashore near William G. Milliken State Park on the U.S. side of the river.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard and local officials, the grounding occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m., and the first report reached the Coast Guard’s Detroit sector at 1:17 a.m. Thursday. At the time, the ship had its anchors down and was attempting to ride out strong winds and unusually low water levels affecting Great Lakes traffic.
Windsor harbour master Peter Berry said the vessel was holding at anchor when wind and current dragged it out of the anchorage and into the mud on the Detroit side, adding that there was no fault with the ship or its crew. The Pierson lay diagonally near the shipping channel in roughly the same stretch of river where the Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin had gone aground earlier this month.
Despite the position of the grounded vessel, the Coast Guard reported no impact on other commercial traffic, and authorities confirmed no hull damage, injuries or pollutant releases.
Tugboats Minnesota and Ontario were dispatched shortly after the grounding, and on Thursday morning the Coast Guard met with the operator and the Windsor Port Authority to approve a refloat plan. The tugs then freed the vessel, and by later in the day it had been moved to a berth for inspection.
The incident occurred during a period of strong winds and falling water levels across the Great Lakes system, with warnings issued for high winds and waves and temporary suspension of navigation through the Welland Canal. Berry cited “extreme low water levels and wind” as key contributing factors. It was the second grounding in the same part of the Detroit River this month, following the Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin’s grounding on 7 November during a medical evacuation stop.
