Thick Ice Traps 63-Year Old Bulk Carrier on Lake Erie

The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Griffon, a 234-foot multi-mission light icebreaker, breaks ice in Lake Erie en route to a rendezvous with the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay, Feb. 19, 2015. Image courtesy Canadian Coast Guard

The Canadian Coast Guard’s 234-foot multi-mission medium icebreaker Griffon is working this weekend to break free the 26,500 gross ton bulk carrier Arthur M. Anderson, which is beset in ice on the southern shore of Lake Erie near Conneaut Harbor.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay, a 140-foot ice-breaking tug homeported in Detroit, attempted to free the 63 year old ship, but encountered ice too thick for it to break while enroute, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Update:

According to Great Lakes Shipping blog Boatnerd, “the Arthur M. Anderson was underway behind the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Griffon Saturday night.”

The two vessels subsequently rendezvous’ed with the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Samuel Risley where the Griffon then handed over escort duties.