Friday, April 19, 2024 | St. Lawrence County, NY
MASSENA -- Coast Guard officials say 28 of the 30 people injured as a result of the St. Laurent cruise ship crash have been released from the hospital. The ship hit a wall in the Eisenhower Lock on …
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MASSENA -- Coast Guard officials say 28 of the 30 people injured as a result of the St. Laurent cruise ship crash have been released from the hospital.
The ship hit a wall in the Eisenhower Lock on Thursday night. Seaway officials had to drain the lock and are extracting the 274 passengers.
Passengers and luggage are being taken off the vessel in baskets attached to cranes. They will be loaded onto buses, and driven to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation personnel are in the baskets to assist passengers, the Coast Guard said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection are on the vessel clearing all passengers before departure off the vessel. It may take up to six hours to remove all the people from the ship, Coast Guard said.
There were 274 people, including passengers and crew, aboard at the time of the collision.
The vessel remains in the lock.
An initial damage assessment indicated that 10 feet of the bow was pushed inward during the impact, causing water intrusion. There have been no reports of additional water intrusion since the lock was partially drained, Coast Guard said.
Navigation is suspended in this section of the seaway until the Saint Laurent can be moved. At least nine vessels have been delayed due to the closure.
The ship will remain in the lock with both doors closed until it is safely refloated and can be moved to different location.
There continue to be no indications of any pollution, according to the Coast Guard.
At 9:45 p.m. Thursday night, a search-and-rescue controller at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo received notification of the allision.
A crew aboard a 25-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Alexandria Bay responded, along with a marine inspector from Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Massena.
The Saint Laurent is a cruise ship owned by International Shipping Partners.
The cause of the collision is under investigation.
The Eisenhower Lock is one of two U.S. locks on the 10-mile-long Wiley-Dondero Canal, which provides access to Lake St. Lawrence.
