The 714-foot bulk carrier American Mariner crashed into the Mud Lake Junction Light early Thursday morning. Coast Guard officials said the ship's hull sustained damage, but it was difficult to determine just how much.
Lieutenant Phil Gurtler is a public affairs officer with the Coast Guard.
He says an underwater drone was deployed to analyze the ship's hull. He says this section of the St. Mary's River is known as Mud Lake for a reason.
"Unfortunately, that's part of the reason why it took such a long time to actually make those initial assessments is because the water is, it's very dark, it's hard to actually see things."
The American Mariner was able to make the trip to a nearby port under its own power where it will undergo further repairs.
Around 90-percent of iron ore used to produce steel in the US passes through the St. Mary's each year.
