The saga that drew some heartstring-pulling (but inaccurate) comparisons to the infamous Edmund Fitzgerald is over.

The story captured the attention and eyes of not just Western New Yorkers but also people around the country when a lake freighter carrying a crew of 17 became stuck in Lake Erie last week. Had the ship come through even a week or 10 days prior, it would have sailed through with ease, but a huge drop in temperatures caused a big increase in lake ice, causing the Sarnia, Ontario-based Manitoulin to become trapped in the ice. The freighter had dropped off its shipment of wheat in Buffalo and was heading back home when it got stuck in ice several feet thick.

Thanks to several days of below-freezing temperatures with strong wind, Lake Erie’s ice coverage went from 40% to 80% in just a few days. That’s good news for those who are ready to move on from lake effect snow off Lake Erie, but it created a sticky situation for the ship.

It’s no easy task to turn around a 663-foot-long ship, let alone when it gets frozen in time and place. But the crew was safe and warm inside with plenty of food to withstand their ordeal.

The ship was not damaged, officials say.

The freighter’s rescue was a team effort from the U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, and other vessels, but it took several days to free the ship due to the thickness of the ice. The first attempt at liberation came Thursday; by Friday afternoon there was a little movement, but it wasn’t until late Saturday that the Manitoulin was able to hit open water and continue its journey home.

Those of us who call Western New York and Southern Ontario home know well the legend of the Edmund Fitzerald, immortalized in the epic song from late Canadian songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. In that case, however, a freighter got caught in an unexpected and strong November storm, causing it to take on water before sinking in Lake Superior in November 1975. The ship and her crew of 29 men were lost to the lake 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan.

When it became apparent Wednesday that the freighter was stuck just off the breakwall, the Coast Guard requested and received assistance from its counterpart in Canada for what is known as “Operation Coal Shovel,” described as “an area of responsibility from southern Lake Huron, through the St. Clair and Detroit River system, and into Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, including the St. Lawrence Seaway,” the Coast Guard said. “Through this, U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers work together to facilitate the navigation of vessels.”

Freezing Temperatures Across The Great Lakes

Heavy snow and freezing temperatures have turned the Great Lakes Region into an icy tundra

Gallery Credit: Getty Images

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