U.S. Coast Guard rescues over 100 from casino ship
Moving now on to the United States. The Coast Guard has launched a rescue operation to save over 100 people stranded on a passenger vessel off the southern coast of Georgia. Paul, what's the latest on the passengers and crew?
It's good news. Coast Guard officials say all 123 people on board the casino boat have been rescued and are on shore as of late Wednesday. However, investigators are still trying to determine what caused the ship to stall during its maiden voyage. Crew members said the 53-meter long Escapade... was en route to the beach destination east of Savannah... before it ran aground three kilometers near Tybee Island. Boats and helicopters were dispatched to help 94 passengers who were stranded for nearly 24 hours on the ship. One passenger was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution, but no injuries were reported in the grounding or the rescue,... and most passengers were able to climb down to the waiting rescue boast. Coast Guard ships first tried to tow the stranded vessel ashore but were unsuccessful as the tow lines snapped. The ship is operated by Florida-based Tradewinds Casino Cruise, which had invited passengers to board the free trip.
Casino Boat Runs Aground 2014 - The Escapade Maiden Vvoyage
A Casino Boat Runs Aground Off Georgia Coast, The Escapade Casino Boat Runs Aground out on its maiden voyage out of Savannah, Ga ------------------------------------ The Escapade, operated by Florida-based Tradewinds Casino Cruise, set out on its maiden voyage out of Savannah, Ga., on Tuesday night.
It ran aground early Wednesday about 1.8 miles off Tybee Island, in the Calibogue Sound near the Georgia-South Carolina border, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
As of 3 p.m., four people have been placed on a Coast Guard helicopter, including a possible stroke victim, a man with a cane, one with a walker, and one with a brace, reports WTOC, the CBS affiliate in Savannah, Ga.
They were placed on the helicopter because they were not able to be placed to one of the smaller rescue boats. Some passengers are being shuttled to a Coast Guard cutter via small rubber zodiacs, according to the Savannah Morning News.
The original plan had been to tow the Escapade back to shore with all 123 passengers and crew members on board, but that idea was scuttled when tow lines broke.
Casino boat returns after beached on maiden voyage