Brand New Great Lakes Freighter Runs Aground in Detroit River
Photo: Jalopnik / Erin Marquis
The first U.S.-built ship to take to the Great Lakes in 40 years ran aground on the eastern tip of Belle Isle in Detroit Wednesday.
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The 639-foot Mark W. Barker became stuck in the soft silty mud just off the shore of Belle Isle facing Windsor, Ontario. After being launched only last year, the Barker is the newest ship from the Interlake Steamship Company, according to WXYZ 7.
The Barker was heading from Detroit to Milwaukee with a load of salt when it somehow became firmly wedged in the mud and silt just outside of the Belle Isle Park on Detroit’s east side. The site is so close to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum that you can get a great view of recovery efforts from the museum’s livestream
Detroit River Live Cam from the Dossin Museum, Detroit, Michigan USA
While the Barker was laying sideways across the straight between Belle Isle in Detroit and Windsor, Canada, the shipping channel was still navigable for other freighters with the help of a tug boat. The Coast Guard managed to tow the Barker out of the mud, taking her backwards the wrong way up the shipping channel.
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The U.S. Coast Guard said on Twitter it will investigate what caused Wednesday morning’s mishap. No injuries were reported among the Barker’s 24-person crew, nor is there any evidence of any pollution or damage to the freighter itself.
This incident was the “best case scenario” Coast Guard Lt. Cameo Ulbricht told the Detroit Free Press. At least ships can still pass through the river. The same couldn’t be said for the Evergiven when it blocked the Suez Canal in 2021. Or when the MV Golden Ray capsized off the coast of Brunswick, Georgia.
This is a breaking story and we will update it as more information becomes available.
