A cargo ship that had been stuck in the St. Lawrence Seaway northeast of Montreal since Christmas Eve has been successfully refloated. The MV Maccoa, a 185-meter bulk carrier, was escorted to a dock at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, by tugboats on Tuesday.
The vessel, which ran aground near Vercheres, Quebec, on December 24 due to a power failure, was initially unsuccessful in its first refloating attempt. The Canadian Coast Guard then decided to lighten the ship by unloading 3,000 metric tonnes of its cargo of corn onto two barges. After delays, the unloading process was completed, with 1,250 tonnes transferred to the first barge and the rest moved overnight.
Transport Canada will now oversee the ship's inspection and repair before it continues its journey to Europe. No injuries or pollution were reported, and the 20 crew members aboard remained unharmed throughout the operation.
