APRIL 17, 2015
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Coast Guard crews escorted the passenger ferry Victoria
Clipper to Seattle following a reported electrical fire aboard the vessel near
Port Townsend, Thursday.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Terrapin, an 87-foot
patrol boat homeported in Bellingham, and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from
Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles escorted the Victoria Clipper to its
Seattle pier after the ferry’s crewmembers reportedly extinguished the fire
aboard the vessel.
The Victoria Clipper was reportedly carrying 223 passengers
from Victoria, B.C., to Seattle at the time of the incident. There were no
reported injuries.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound in Seattle
received a report from Victoria Clipper personnel of an electrical fire on an
anchor windlass in a forward space onboard the vessel around 7:16 p.m.
The Dolphin aircrew and Terrapin crew were diverted from a
scheduled training exercise to assist. The Washington State Ferry Operation
Center was also notified and was ready to divert a vessel to assist if
passengers needed to be transferred from the Victoria Clipper.
“The response of the Victoria Clipper crew was exceptional,”
said Lt. Raffael Shamilov, command duty officer at the Coast Guard 13th
District Command Center in Seattle.
The Coast Guard will investigate the cause of the fire.
Weather on scene was reported to be calm seas, 3 mph winds
and an air temperature of 57 degrees.