Watch: anchor on Detroit River bottom for 60 years unearthed
DETROIT (WJBK) - Divers and crews are planning to raise a 6,000-pound anchor from the Detroit River bottom where it has rested for six decades.
A barge fitted with a crane will haul up the Greater Detroit's anchor Tuesday afternoon. Once cleaned and restored, it will be displayed at the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority downtown.
FOX 2 will provide a livestream so you can watch the crew haul the anchor out of the water. They're expected to begin at 3 p.m. You can watch live on our Facebook page here.
If you're interested in watching in person, officials say the best viewing will be at West Riverfront Park, which is just west of the Joe Louis Arena. The process could take a few hours.
The Great Lakes Maritime Institute is seeking donations to help offset some costs.
The 536-foot Greater Detroit ferried passengers around the Great Lakes. The sidewheel steamer took her maiden voyage in 1924. It could carry more than 2,000 people.
Commercial airline travel and modern freeways ended the usefulness of luxury steamships and the Greater Detroit was scrapped and its anchor cut. The steamer was towed to Lake St. Clair where it was burned in 1956.
You can get more information at www.historicdetroit.org.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
BELOW: Watch GoPro footage under water of the anchor recovery courtesy of diver Brendon Smith.