Cyprus-flagged ship MV MACCOA remains stuck near Verchères

A tugboat is attempting to free the MV Maccoa, which ran aground on the St. Lawrence River near Verchères, Que., on Friday Dec. 27, 2024. The boat was still stuck on Saturday, after the previous day's attempt to refloat it failed. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes)

The MV MACCOA, a cargo ship registered in Cyprus, that ran aground on Christmas Eve in the St. Lawrence River near Verchères, Que., was still trapped on Saturday, after the Friday’s attempt to refloat it failed.

An operation to free the vessel was launched on Friday morning, involving three tugboats and an officer from the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) Environmental Response and Marine Hazards team.

However, the attempt did not “significantly improve the condition of the vessel so that it could be refloated’,” said Kariane Charron from the Canadian Coast Guard’s Quebec office.

Late Friday, the decision was made to pause refloating operations.

“The ship’s owner and other experts will look into unloading part of the cargo to make it easier to refloat the vessel,” Charron said.

The ship ran aground on December 24 due to a power failure, the cause of which is still unknown.

At the time, 20 crew members were on board. No one was hurt, the ship was not damaged, and no pollution was found nearby.

Generators, heaters, and other supplies were delivered to the ship on Christmas Eve. The crew restored power shortly afterward using the ship’s own generators.

The Coast Guard said the ship’s position is not blocking maritime traffic, but a speed reduction has been put in place for other vessels passing through the area.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French Dec. 28, 2024.