Tag Archives: U.S. Coast Guard

Cruise Ship Crashes Into Wall, Smashes Hole In Bow, Traps Hundreds Of Passengers Onboard

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Eisenhower Lock Interior

A cruise ship crashed into a wall in a lock on the St. Lawrence Seaway in upstate New York Thursday night, injuring 30 people on the ship and blowing a hole in its bow, according to authorities.

The U.S. Coast Guard says the 286-foot Saint Laurent was headed from Montreal to Toronto when it hit a wall in the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, New York, near the Canadian border, around 9:45 p.m. Thursday. There were 273 passengers and crew aboard, most of them French or Swiss nationals, the Associated Press reports.

“When the ship hit the lock, it suffered a hole in its bow and water started coming in,” Coast Guard spokeswoman Lauren Laughlin told The Huffington Post.

Lock workers lowered the level of the water below the hole, Laughlin went on, so “the ship is still floating but it’s not flooding.”

Rescue workers took 30 injured passengers and crew off the ship, according to Laughlin. Twenty-eight of them were treated for their injuries and returned to the ship. Two people are still being treated for serious injuries.

Marine inspectors and salvage inspectors are currently aboard the ship assessing the damage and working out a salvage plan. Because the ship and the lock are on different levels, passengers can’t just walk off the ship, Laughlin said. They may have to clamber down ladders to escape, or be lifted off by cranes.

Laughlin said the passengers trapped on the ship are probably comfortable where they are. “They have all the amenities, they have food, they have water, they have air conditioning,” she said. “The power is on, they’re just not driving.”

In a statement early Friday morning, the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the U.S. government-owned corporation that manages the lock, said that “the ship is stable and no pollution is reported.” According to the SLSDC, the ship is holding up seven commercial vessels waiting to pass through the lock.

The Saint Laurent is owned by International Shipping Partners, and the crash remains under investigation.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

17 Hurt When Cruise Ship Hits Seaway Lock Wall in Upstate NY

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Cruise Ship Saint Laurent.

Authorities say a cruise ship has crashed into a wall in a lock on the St. Lawrence Seaway in upstate New York, injuring 17 people and forcing the draining of the lock.

The U.S. Coast Guard says the 286-foot Saint Laurent was headed from Montreal to Toronto when it hit a wall in the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, near the Canadian border, around 9:45 p.m. Thursday. There were 274 French passengers and crew aboard.

St. Lawrence County emergency officials say none of the injuries are serious. Officials tell WWNY-TV in Watertown that all 17 were treated at the Massena hospital and released.

Officials say the water has been drained from the lock, and the ship will remain there with both lock doors closed until it can be moved.

The Saint Laurent is owned by International Shipping Partners.

The crash remains under investigation.

Serenade of the Seas Departs After Being Delayed From Water Pipe Bursting

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A broken water pipe shorting out an electric switchboard is being blamed for a partial power loss on Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas.

Max Power, a passenger who is currently doing back to back to back cruises on the Serenade of the Seas, first reported of the incident on the Facebook group “Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society”.  Heavy rain was first blamed for the switch board being shorted out but it is now being blamed on a broken water pipe above the theater according to Max.

The front of the ship was without power early on Saturday morning.  Due to the damage from the broken water pipe, 400 passengers who were scheduled to board the ship in New Orleans today will not be able to board.

At least 175 passenger cabins are currently out of service.  Passengers who had their cruise canceled will receive a full refund and a 100% credit towards a future cruise.

Royal Caribbean sent out the following text message to passengers who were to board the Serenade of the Seas today:

Urgent Notification: Serenade of the Seas Check-In Update

Hello, this is Royal Caribbean International.  We would like to provide you and update regarding your sailing today onboard Serenade of the Seas out of New Orleans. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently onboard inspecting the ship.  We are waiting for authorization from the Coast Guard to begin boarding.  Because the cruise terminal in New Orleans is very limited in space, we ask that guest explore the local area until we can being boarding. We will contact you again once we have received permission to being the boarding process.  We appreciate your patience and understanding, ad we look forward to welcoming you aboard.

An hour later, another text message was sent by Royal Caribbean letting passengers know that the U.S. Coast Guard had given them permission to begin the boarding process.

The Serenade of the Seas will now spend the night in New Orleans while crew members repair the damage.  The ship was scheduled to leave this afternoon on a 7 night cruise to the Bahamas and Key West, Florida.

Update: The Serenade of the Seas left New Orleans early Sunday afternoon and will sail a shortened six night cruise to the Bahamas.  Passengers who had their cruise canceled will receive a full refund and a future cruise certificate equal to their cruise fare.