BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A lake freighter ship that was stuck in the ice in the Lake Erie shoreline in the Buffalo River since Wednesday was freed Saturday afternoon, the U.S. Coast Guard announced.

Since the Manitoulin’s breakthrough, it has traveled over 4 1/2 miles and is being escorted by the Neah Bay and Bristol Bay tugboats along with the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley, according to the Coast Guard.

As of 3 p.m. Saturday, the boat was traveling at seven knots, which is equivalent to roughly eight miles per hour.

The ship began to move Thursday afternoon. It first got stuck around 11:40 a.m. Wednesday and had been stuck since then, surrounded by a foot of ice.

The Manitoulin, which was returning to Michigan after completing a routine delivery of wheat, became immobilized by thick ice, which the U.S. Coast Guard said is commonplace this time of year amidst frigid temperatures.

“The situation that we are facing here on Lake Erie is that we have greater ice thickness than usual so local ice breakers and local Coast Guard vessels don’t have the capability to break ice with that level of thickness,” said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Bridgette Baldwin.

The Neah Bay, a 140-foot ice-breaking tugboat from Ohio, arrived on the scene at 9 a.m. Saturday to help free the ship along with Samuel Risley from Ontario, the Coast Guard said. The Risley worked with the Bristol Bay — another ice-breaking tugboat — to free the Manitoulin.

The Mackinaw, a 240-foot icebreaker out of Michigan, was also on the way as of Saturday and was expected to arrive on the scene Monday.

“The U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard are working closely to deploy all necessary
assets to assist the Manitoulin,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Armstrong, Commander,
Sector Detroit. “Safety of life on our waterways remains paramount and both Coast Guards will
continue to monitor the situation and render assistance as necessary.”

The Bristol Bay arrived on Thursday to assist.

“It will be kind of rocking itself up and down, and kind of crushing the ice in that way,” said Baldwin. “So, when we think about traditional ice breaking, people think that ice breakers just plow through the ice. This one will be lifting itself up and down and kind of crushing the ice to pave the way.”

Closer vessels, including vessels in Buffalo such as the Edward M. Cotter fireboat, don’t have the icebreaking capabilities that the vessel coming from Erie does.

A helicopter from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit was flying over the ship as of Saturday to help monitor the situation, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard said Saturday that there were no concerns regarding the safety of the crew. The ship was previously said to have enough fuel, provisions and electricity to stay in good condition.

All crew members on the ship are reported to be OK.