Second attempt to free ship stuck in Saint Lawrence River could take place Wednesday

A tugboat tries to release the MV Maccoa after it ran aground in the Saint Lawrence River in Verchères, Que., Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)

A second attempt to free a ship that ran aground on Christmas Eve in the Saint Lawrence River northeast of Montreal could take place Wednesday morning.

The Canadian Coast Guard says part of the ship's cargo of corn has been unloaded onto a barge, and a second barge is in transit toward the ship, with another unloading to be completed Tuesday morning.

The corn is being unloaded to lighten and help refloat the Cyprus-flagged 185-metre bulk carrier, which ran aground in the early hours of Dec. 24 near Verchères, Que., after a power failure.

The unloading operation was supposed to start last week, after a failed attempt to free the ship late last month, but it was postponed until the weekend because it took longer than expected to prepare the barges in Quebec City.

More than 3,000 metric tonnes of corn must be off-loaded to get the ship floating, and a total of 1,250 metric tonnes have so far been unloaded onto the first barge.

Twenty crew members remain on board the vessel, which is deemed to be in stable condition, with no pollution detected in the area.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2025.