U.S cargo ship remains stuck in St. Mary's River

A 191-metreU.S. cargo ship remains stuck in shallow water on the St. Mary's River after running aground Wednesday night.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that the vessel left Essar Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.,around 11:40 p.m. to its destination in Michigan, where it ran aground outside the channel on the north side of Sugar Island.

There were no injuries reported in the incident, and the Coast Guard said in a newsrelease the ship is "structurally sound."

They also conducted two aerial surveys by helicopter, which reported no pollution from the ship.

The coast guard placed a protective boom around the ship as a precautionary measure, Lieutenant Junior Grade Sean Murphy said.

No Canadian services have been enlisted to assist, although Murphy said "if we needed to, we feel like we could easily reach out."

The owner of the ship, Grand River Navigation, is finalizing a salvage plan and will present it to the Coast Guard for approval later today.

The St. Mary's River will remain closed to commercial vessels from the Soo Locks to 6 Mile Point.