Freighters Stuck In St. Clair River

 Teamwork from the U-S Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard Wednesday night, after a couple of freighters got stuck in the icy waters of the St. Clair River.

Petty Officer First Class Operations Specialist Galen Witham told WWJ, they assisted a vessel that was upbound on the river, headed to Port Huron. The "Ojibway" freighter got bogged down in the icy shipping channel, between Russell Island and the Algonac State Park, requiring assistance. While officials helped that freighter, another ship behind it got stuck. 

Later in the evening, the Coast Guard was called to assist the "American Integrity", which was bound for Detroit. 

Petty Officer Witham says its not uncommon for ships to encounter these problems this time of year, when a deep freeze is followed by a mild thaw, and then freezing conditions return.