1,000-Foot Ship Freed After Grounding Near U.S. Port

It took seven tugboats to push the massive ship back to the center of the shipping channel.

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SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Authorities are investigating what caused a cargo ship to become grounded along the shipping channel to Georgia’s busiest seaport.

The Danish-flagged container ship Maersk Surabaya ran aground Tuesday evening while navigating the Savannah River on its way to the Port of Savannah, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Seven tugboats nudged the 1,000 foot (305-meter) ship back to the center of the shipping channel and no injuries or pollution were reported, the Coast Guard said in a news release Wednesday.

The vessel was moored at the port’s docks Wednesday morning. The Coast Guard said its Marine Safety Unit in Savannah is investigating. The ship got stuck several miles downstream from the port terminal.

The Port of Savannah is the fourth-busiest U.S. port for handling containers, giant metal boxes used to ship goods ranging from consumer electronics to frozen chickens. More than 5.6 million container units of imports and exports moved through Savannah last year.


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