Passengers and crew rescued from cruise ship after engine room fire
All passengers were rescued from a cruise ship in Glacier Bay, Alaska Monday morning after a fire broke out in the ship’s engine room.
Fifty-one passengers and 16 crew members were evacuated from the Wilderness Discoverer, a small expedition ship owned by California-based Adventure Smith Explorations.
Sapphire Princess, a cruise ship that departed from Vancouver Wednesday, was alerted by the U.S. Coast Guard around 9 a.m. that the Discoverer was nearby and needed help.
The Princess, also owned by a California-based cruise line, sent a water shuttle to transfer the passengers and crew to their ship.
There were no injuries, according to a statement from Princess Cruises.
“Princess Cruises continues to work with the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities to support these passengers in their forward travel,” the company wrote.
Eleven crew members remained on board the Discoverer, which was scheduled to be towed by a tug boat to Ketchikan, Alaska, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Coast guard cutter ships and a helicopter were sent to the area to assist the Discoverer.
"Our primary concern is ensuring the safety of the passengers and the crew," said Lt. j.g. Maximilian Carfagno, the command duty officer at the Coast Guard’s Sector Juneau command center, in a statement.
“The quick launch of our assets and the teamwork among the Sapphire Princess helped in the timeliness of this rescue,” he continued.
“It’s been a wild day to say the least,” Laura Greenleaf, a passenger on the Sapphire Princess, told CTV News. ““Everybody seemed in good spirits for the most part.”
She said the passengers of the Discoverer were on the larger ship for less than an hour before another vessel came to transport them.
Later, another helicopter was sent to rescue a passenger having a medical emergency. Greenleaf said it was a passenger of the Princess and unrelated to the fire incident.
“It’s also a little concerning, because when they made the first announcement you’re like ‘Oh my gosh is our ship on fire?’” she recalled of the rescue.
“We've never had this kind of situation before, and then to have it compounded with somebody else needing assistance is kind of unheard of,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.