The 656-foot freighter, M/V Federal Rideau, was refloated by The Great Lakes Towing Company on July 29th, after the vessel ran aground in Lake St. Clair on July 27th. The vessel was carrying 22,672 tonnes of wheat from Thunder Bay to Montreal. The Towing Company’s tugs Superior, Nebraska and Mississippi responded to the grounding at the request of Fednav, which has been a Full Service Lakes-Wide Towing Contract customer of The Great Lakes Towing Company for many years.
Joseph Heaney, Tug Captain in Detroit and Toledo, was the first to respond. “We were working against the environment and the clock,” says Heaney who has worked for the company for over 24 years. Heaney further explained that the efforts of all crews of the company’s tugs contributed to the successful refloating of Federal Rideau. “When we got to the scene, we noticed that the boat was fighting the current, the wind was picking up, and there was a structure just six feet away from the vessel that we had to stay clear of. It was a tough situation.” Heaney explained, “Customer satisfaction is our primary driver, we’ll do whatever it takes. When one of our tugs arrives on the scene, our customers can be confident that they will receive a job well done because they can count on 116 years of experience from our company. I’m proud to say I’ve been here in Detroit and Toledo for over 24 of those great years.”