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Salvage crews have begun working to free a massive cargo ship that got stuck in the Chesapeake Bay over a week ago. The Ever Forward, which is owned by the same company as the Ever Given, which got stuck in the Suez Canal last year, ran aground on March 13, just north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
There were no injuries reported, and the ship was not damaged. The 1,095-foot vessel is stable, does not pose any pollution threat, and is not blocking shipping lanes.
To refloat the ship, crews will have to dredge the floor of the Chesapeake Bay while ballast is released from the ship to make it lighter. Tug boats will then pull the vessel until it is able to engage its main engine.
Port of Baltimore Executive Director William Doyle said that the "surgical dredging operation" will be conducted by two U.S.-based companies, Don Jon Marine and Cashman Dredging & Marine Construction.
The dredged material will be used to rebuild Poplar Island, which has suffered from severe erosion.
Investigators have not determined what caused the Ever Forward to run aground.