A Canadian-flagged cement carrier ran aground in the early hours on Friday, at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, near the Holcim terminal in Cleveland, Ohio.
The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Eastern Great Lakes were notified that the 406'x59' Sunnanvik grounded at 12:43 a.m., and the agency dispatched a 29' response boat-small crew from Station Cleveland Harbor to respond and establish a security zone around the ship.
The vessel, which was en route to Cleveland from Windsor, Canada, was carrying 3,500 tons of cement at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported.
Photos shared on social media showed the ship lodged diagonally across the Cuyahoga River, with its bow and stern stuck on opposite banks, completely blocking the waterway.
A pair of assist tugs from The Great Lakes Towing Company, Cleveland — the New York and Wisconsin — helped to refloat the Sunnanvik at approximately 6 a.m., and the river has been reopened to vessel traffic.
The cause of the grounding is under investigation, the Coast Guard said.
The 8,672-mt Sunnanvik, built in 1978, is co-owned by The CSL Group Inc., Montreal, Canada, and SMT Shipping Ltd., Agios Athanasios, Cyprus, as part of the Eureka Shipping Ltd. joint venture. It is the first modern cargo ship equipped with sails to navigate on the Great Lakes.
