Canadian and U.S. cutters worked to free a freighter stuck in St. Clair River ice on Saturday afternoon.
The Algonova, a double-hulled oil and chemical tanker, was stuck in the ice near Marine City. A Canadian cutter went to its aid, cutting a path for the freighter, and was joined by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter.
The Canadian cutter did most of the work. Within minutes of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter’s arrival the Algonova was freed and moving again at about 2:25 p.m. Saturday.
A crowd of residents and visitors watched the rescue from the shore. Afterward, the Canadian cutter blew its horn in the channel in downtown Marine City.
The Algonova, owned Algoma Tankers Limited, launched in 2008 and services ports on the Great Lakes and East Coast, according to boatnerd.com.
The name Algonova is derived from the standard company prefix “Algo” and “nova” honoring the province of Nova Scotia, home province of Imperial Oil’s large Dartmouth refinery and distribution center, according to the website.