GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A freighter that ran aground in the Detroit River on Wednesday has been freed.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that the 639-foot Mark W. Barker ran into soft ground around 8 a.m. The ship was carrying a load of salt. No one was hurt and there was no reported pollution caused by the grounding.
The ship was freed a few hours later. Coast Guard crews were investigating to confirm there wasn’t any major damage.
The Mark. W. Barker was built in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and launched last year. The ship was with the Great Lakes in mind, with the manufacturer saying it was “designed to navigate the tight bends of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland.”
The ship is powered by twin engines that generate a total of 8,000 horsepower. It can carry up to 26,000 gross tons.