June 20, 2015
CLEVELAND, OHIO
The Coast Guard is continuing to respond to a 286-foot cruise ship that hit a concrete wall in the Eisenhower Lock in the St. Lawrence Seaway in Massena, New York.
All passengers were removed from the ship Friday afternoon and transported by bus to Montreal, Canada.
The vessel was freed from the lock wall with the assistance of the tug Pierre Julien and was moved to a lower wall of the seaway. Divers conducted a survey of the vessel and determined that the extent of the damage was to the bow of the vessel and that the vessel can sail under its own power.
The Saint Laurent is scheduled to sail to Quebec City, Canada Sunday.
Navigation is open at the Eisenhower Lock. At least 17 vessels have been delayed due to the closure.
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, New York, 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 allision is under investigation.
There were 274 people, including passengers and crew, aboard at the time of the collision.
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 and is operated by the SLSDC, a modal administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.