Defiance
The 44 meter long, 661 dwt towboat Defiance and the 186 meter long, 42,800 dwt barge Ashtabula ran aground in the Straits of Mackinaw in the Round Island Passage between Mackinac Island and Round Island, Michigan. The vessels departed from Cedarville bound for Buffington, Indiana when the vessels had run aground and became stuck on the clay bottom. The vessels remained stuck for several hours until currents pulled the tug/barge vessels free.
The Coast Guard conducted a flyover the vessels and found no pollution had been released. The vessels proceeded to an anchorage after the grounding. No reports of injuries or pollution released. The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident.