Updated: July 17, 2014 (Originally published July 16, 2014)
Latest: USCG Rescues 118 From Stranded Casino Ship – Photos
Update: All passengers have been transferred off the vessel according the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday. “Coast Guard members aboard three 25-foot response boats and one 45-foot response boat from Station Tybee Island worked together to ferry 114 people from the casino boat to the Coast Guard Cutters Maria Bray and Tarpon,” according to USCG spokesperson Petty Officer 1st Class Lauren Jorgensen.
The vessel is still aground following at least 5 attempts to pull her off the sandbar, according to the USCG on Wednesday.
Earlier:
U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Chief Petty Officer Ryan Doss notes in a phone call today the 200 foot-long casino boat Escapade ran aground last night off Tybee Island near the port of Savannah, Georgia.
Local media reports indicate the vessel was on its maiden voyage.
Chief Doss notes a maritime safety unit has been dispatched to the scene and there appears to be no risk of pollution or indication of hull structural damage as a result of the grounding, which occurred on a sand bar.
The 27 31 crew and 96 94 passengers are still aboard the vessel which due to the extremely shallow waters around it, cannot be offloaded at the moment. Doss notes the plan is to await high tide at 1pm with hopes she may be able to be pulled free. There are commercial salvors on scene.
View from the boat:
View from Casino boat "The Escapade" stuck in sand bar this morning off Tybee Coast @WTOC11 #wtoc pic.twitter.com/S4voMluNyk
— WTOC Mike Cihla (@MikeCihla) July 16, 2014
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