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Empress of the North Runs Aground
Empress of the
North
Photo
Courtesy of American West Steamboat Company
American West
Steamboat Company’s 360-foot river cruise ship Empress of the North ran aground
on a sandbar March 24th at 10:10 am PST in the Columbia River. There are no
reports of injuries to the 180 guests or 80 crew members aboard the vessel. The
ship and environment are not at risk.
A tugboat is standing by to pull the Empress of the North off the sandbar, so
that she may continue under her own power to the Port of Washougal, her next
scheduled stop. From there, guests will continue with shore excursions and
tours.
A thorough inspection of the hull of the vessel will be conducted by divers
immediately on docking at the Port of Washougal. US Coast Guard officials will
inspect the vessel at the same time.
The Empress of the North left Astoria, Oregon, on Sunday, March 19, on a one
week cruise of the Columbia River. It is scheduled to arrive back to Astoria on
Sunday, March 26.
Guests Aboard Empress of the North Transferred Ashore
American West
Steamboat Company has transferred all passengers from its grounded 360-foot
river cruiseship The Empress of the North, via its sister ship The Queen of the
West to the Port of Washougal on the Columbia River.
"This decision was made with the cooperation of the US Coast Guard as well as
local authorities. It was a precautionary measure to assure the ultimate safety
of our 179 guests," said David A. Giersdorf, President of American West
Steamboat Company.
A plan was put in place to make disembarkation process safe and comfortable as
possible for the guests on the ship. They have been taken to the Port of
Washougal where hotel and dinner reservations were made for them nearby.
The Empress will be towed off the sandbar later tonight, where it ran aground at
10:10 am PST this morning. It will then move to the Port of Washougal under its
own power for inspection by company officials and the Coast Guard. Cause of the
grounding is under routine investigation.
It is scheduled to return Sunday, March 26, to Astoria. Passengers will be
notified of the status of their cruise by Mr. Giersdorf tomorrow morning at
their hotel.
American West Steamboat Company, Seattle, WA, is one of North America’s premier
river and coastal cruising companies offering unique, historical,
nature-oriented cruise itineraries through the Pacific Northwest and Alaska’s
Inside Passage.
For additional information on
American West Steamboat Company, please visit their website at
ColumbiaRiverCruise.com
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