This is the dramatic moment ice breakers rescued a stranded vessel on a frozen Lake Erie in New York.

The motor vessel Manitoulin, a 663 ft (202 m) ship, was trapped in more than two feet of ice a mile off the shore of Buffalo on January 22.

The incident was reported to the U.S. Coast Guard, which then sprang into action along with the Canadian Coast Guard.

The 140-ft ice-breaking tug USCGC Neah Bay, stationed in Cleveland, joined the operation on January 23.

Air Station Detroit also joined the rescue operation by conducting overflights to assist rescue teams as they cleared a path for the stranded freighter.

The situation turned challenging by extreme weather conditions, with sustained winds of 16-20 mph and gusts reaching 38 mph, as well as freezing temperatures fluctuating between -18 degrees Celsius and -9 degrees Celsius.

The Coast Guard employed a technique of reversing vessels through previously broken ice to gain momentum and break through pressure ridges.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that all 17 crew members aboard the Manitoulin were in good health.

A private tugboat also delivered food to the crew before the ship was finally freed on January 27.