BUFFALO, N.Y.—A Canadian freighter carrying 17 people became caught in the ice on Lake Erie as it left Buffalo, according to the Coast Guard, which responded Thursday with icebreaking equipment to begin liberating the vessel.
On Wednesday, the 663-foot Manitoulin was returning to Sarnia, Ontario, after dropping off a supply of wheat when it became stuck in the ice that was fast developing off the Buffalo coastline due to sub-zero conditions. It remained there until Thursday, producing a spectacular scene on the lake surrounded by ice and snow.
“We just haven’t had a bad winter in quite a while. So now that we’ve had one and people haven’t seen this for a bit, they’re like ‘what’s going on?’” said Paul Angelillo, a search and rescue specialist with the Coast Guard in Buffalo.
During the winter, Great Lakes freighters can normally handle surface ice, but they may find ice that is too hard or thick to break through, he added.
The Manitoulin was not damaged, and both the captain and the crew were safe, according to the Coast Guard. On Thursday afternoon, a Coast Guard cutter began breaking up the ice around the ship.
