Dozens Rescued From Stranded Cruise Ship

(CBS/AP)  The captain of a cruise ship with 66 people aboard ran the vessel aground early Thursday after it began taking on water, the U.S. Coast Guard said. No one was injured, and the Coast Guard got everyone off the boat.

The captain wanted to keep the ship from sinking when it encountered trouble in the Intracoastal Waterway in an isolated, rural area of Virginia Beach, along the Atlantic Coast, officials said.

The Coast Guard received a report about the ship at about 6 a.m. CBS affiliate WTKR-TV in Norfolk, Va., reports a rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City responded with dewatering pumps.

It wasn't clear why the ship began taking on water.

Two 41-foot Coast Guard boats picked up the ship's passengers and crew and took them to a ferry landing about 2 miles away, Petty Officer Christopher Evanson said. The Virginia Beach police and fire departments helped with the rescue, which was completed about 11:15 a.m., he said.

Earlier, Evanson described the situation as serious but said no one's life was at risk. Passengers ate breakfast as they awaited rescue, he said.

The boat was stuck in the mud in water about 9 feet deep and was stable, Evanson said. It was only about 100 feet from shore, but the area is a wooded swamp, he said.

"You can't just take passengers into the woods. You take them to the closest safe haven," he said.

The boat, the Spirit of Nantucket, was on a 10-day cruise from Alexandria, Va., to Charleston, S.C.

It is owned by Cruise West, a small cruise line based in Seattle. The vessel eased onto a mud shoal while damage was being assessed, the company said in a statement.

Cruise West made arrangements to take the passengers to a hotel.

The boat is 207 feet long, can accommodate 102 guests and has an 8-foot draft, making it suited for cruising shallow waterways, according to Cruise West's Web site.

[klewt]

Before every idiot with an internet connection was able to comment on news stories, I used to assume that most people understood what they read. Not anymore! The captain deliberately ran the ship aground in order to protect his passengers -- just what I would hope a ship''s captain would do if I were aboard. So why all the snarky comments?

[gunnerv1]

nana31- Theres no accounting for the stupidity of the idiots on these blogs, They mean well, they are just stupid (I already know I''ll take a hit for this)

[adventurepa]

j-whitman
It hit a pile of rotten republicans.

Lol Good guess.
Anyone else want to guess?

[j-whitman]

nana31,,, I respect your comment... But, let me say this ---- Instead of a vacation tour, have them enlist in our military ------- Uncle Sam Needs Them

[gheemaster38]

Senate just beat Bush''''''''s veto on the Water Bill

Hmmm Veto Water bill. Ship runs aground in water.. hmmm. Yep it is official.. Bush did it. with Gilligan''s (Cheney) help..

[barbaraf4]

Well, I''m glad everyone, including the crew, was rescued.

How much did it cost for us to send the Coast Guard out to pick them up? It seems like it is always one or another special interest group.

Nice touch that they got breakfast.

[stephengosson]

Video showed a big ol'' oil slick trailing away from the ship and no sign of a containment boom.
Oops!

[nana31-2009]

As a parent of one of the crew members, which should be noted consists of many college grads, I resent the comments made regarding the accident. First and foremost the safety of all aboard should be considered, some of the comments reflect a very sad commentary of this country and its citizens.

[lawchicksc]

"***!!

IT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE A THREE HOUR TOUR!!!

Posted by hungry1968 at 10:45 AM : Nov 08, 2007"

That *** Gilligan again! LOL, LOL, LOL!

[j-whitman]

Senate just beat Bush''''s veto on the Water Bill