St. Marys River closed in Sault Ste. Marie after 'marine casualty'
St. Marys River in the Sault Ste. Marie area is closed to traffic following a 'marine casualty' involving a commercial vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release Thursday.
While the term marine casualty sounds concerning, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Joseph Snyder told CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca in a phone interview it can mean a variety of things such as something as simple as losing one of the two generators on board to a crew member being injured.
American Mariner ship struck a concrete navigation aid in Munuscong Lake. March 28, 2024 (U.S. Coast Guard)
The incident happened at 12:20 a.m. March 28 near Munuscong Lake Junction, also known locally as 'Mud Lake', vessel traffic service director Justin Bravatto told CTV News in a phone interview.
A navigation aid made out of concrete was struck by an empty bulk cargo ship headed north to Silver Bay, Minn., Snyder said.
The ship sustained some damage, but it is stable and there are no immediate concerns about it sinking or capsizing, he said.
Additionally, there has been no pollution of the water as a result of the incident.
No one was injured in the incident, Bravatto said.
The river – which sits between Sault, Mich. and Sault, Ont. – is closed from Nine Mile Point to Point Aux Frenes.
"There is currently no estimated time for re-opening of the St. Marys River," the coast guard said.
"Vessel Traffic Service St. Marys River will provide updates on the restoration of the waterway as conditions improve."
St. Marys River closed between Ninemile Point and Point Aux Frenes (Google Maps)
Snyder said investigators are on scene and are still determining what happened and how bad the damage is.
Once it is assessed, officials will determine the best course of action.
"We do have some commercial tug boats on the way," he said.
American Mariner hit a concrete navigation aid in Munuscong Lake. March 28, 2024 (U.S. Coast Guard)
Traffic on St. Marys River reopened Friday evening.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The world is too messy for bureaucratic hurdles': Canada still bars Afghanistan aid
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.