Coast Guard responding to vessel aground in St. Lawrence Seaway

The motor vessel Juno, a 621-foot bulk carrier, sits aground under the Thousand Islands Bridge near Alexandria Bay, New York, April 20, 2015. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

APRIL 20, 2015

CLEVELAND – The Coast Guard is responding to a 621-foot bulk carrier which ran aground in the vicinity of Wellesley Island, in the St. Lawrence River, New York, Monday.

The motor vessel is aground and taking on water in one of the forward ballast tanks. 

The vessel is slightly listing to port with 18-feet of water in the forward peak of the vessel. There are no reported injuries to the crew, and no reported pollution. 

The motor vessel Juno, a Bahamian-flagged bulk carrier with a load of sugar, was transiting inbound from the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Port of Toronto.

At about 1:10 a.m., a watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo received a report from the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation of a bulk carrier that was hard aground in the vicinity of the Thousands Islands Bridge. The vessel did not come in contact with the bridge. 

Vessel navigation is currently suspended in the vicinity of the grounding. There are three other vessels in the area waiting for the navigational channel to re-open.

Coast Guard marine inspectors from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Massena, New York, are on board the Juno with SLSDC representatives conducting an initial investigation along with the SLSDC. A crew from Coast Guard Station Alexandria Bay responded to enforce the waterway closure and monitor the situation.