Updated Dec. 25 at 9 a.m.
According to a press release from the Manitoulin Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police, it was a fish cage that struck the Little Current Swing Bridge in the early morning of Christmas Eve day.
On Dec. 24 at 7:55 a.m., police responded to a report of a barge that had struck the swing bridge at Little Current.
Investigation revealed a decommissioned fish cage had broken away from its mooring in the high wind, and had drifted into the bridge support structure, a press release said. No hazardous materials were on the fish cage.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) determined there was no damage to the bridge supports and the bridge is safe for travel by motorists.
Coldwater Fisheries workers are waiting for the high winds and strong current to subside so the fish cage can be removed safely.
Original story:
Winds reaching 90 km/hr wreaked havoc on the Coldwater Fisheries crew this morning in Little Current, according to the Manitoulin Expositor.
A dock on the former coal docks in Little Current let go, which had nets waiting for repair, as well as the Coldwater barge tethered to it. The nets can be seen in a tangled mess at the swing bridge, with remnants of the barge found in the North Channel, east of the bridge.
Michael Erskine of the Manitoulin Expositor said traffic across the swing bridge has not been impacted by debris.
