A freighter called the Mark W. Barker ran aground in the Detroit River near Belle Isle last year and is now visible in satellite images on Google Maps. The ship was abandoned near the east end of Belle Isle but was eventually released after a few hours. Despite being stuck, the Mark W. Barker was captured in the Google Maps image, serving as a lasting reminder of the incident.
The Mark W. Barker, which was longer than two football fields and carrying about 20,000 metric tons of rock salt, was christened in 2022. It was the first large bulk carrier built in the Great Lakes region since 1981. The images of the ship stuck in the Detroit River were widely shared and became a point of interest for many.
Interestingly, the Mark W. Barker was not the only ship to run aground in 2023. Another incident involved the cargo ship Barbo G, which got stranded in the Detroit River in November. The ship, carrying 21,000 tons of wheat and bound for Italy, encountered issues with its bow thrusters, leading to its grounding. It took three tugboats to free the Barbo G and resume its journey.
These grounding incidents highlight the challenges and risks associated with navigating the Detroit River and Great Lakes region. They also serve as a reminder of the importance of proper ship maintenance and operations to prevent such incidents in the future.
Despite the setbacks, both the Mark W. Barker and the Barbo G were eventually freed from their grounding, allowing them to continue their voyages. The images captured in Google Maps serve as a visual record of these events and a testament to the efforts taken to rescue the stranded ships.
Overall, while the grounding of these freighters posed temporary obstacles, the successful rescue operations demonstrate the resilience of the crews and the support services involved in maritime incidents. These incidents also shed light on the challenges faced by ships navigating the Detroit River and the need for vigilance and preparedness to ensure safe travels in the region.
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2024/05/22/freighter-belle-isle-detroit-river-google-maps/73802937007/