Navigation has resumed on the St Lawrence Seaway after the 90-metre cruise ship Saint Laurent was safely refloated and towed from the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, New York, on June 21 after striking a bumper and taking on water.
Fifteen ships were delayed during the 42 hours it took to remove the passengers and crew and tow the ship from the lock, the US-based Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) reported. The Great Lakes Cruise Company-owned ship had been bound for Toronto to Montreal; it will now be taken to the Port of Quebec for repairs.
Related news: Seaway cruise accident injures 30
There were 192 passengers, 81crew, and a pilot on board the vessel. Thirty required medical attention but the injuries appeared to be minor, FleetPro Passenger Ship Management said.
Once the passengers and crew were evacuated from the vessel, the US Coast Guard and the SLSDC stabilised the vessel in the lock so it would stop taking on water. Tugs then towed the vessel out of the way of waiting ships.
The Canada-based St Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation has not yet determined how long it will take to clear the backlog.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
