UPDATE: Stranded Casino Ship Pulls Itself Free

The stranded Escapade casino ship managed to free itself on its own with a little push from the high tide and returned to its home dock at the Bull River Marina Thursday.

The Escapade casino ship ran aground on her maiden voyage near the coast of Georgia, USA, around midnight, July 16th.

A tow company was called in to assist with the salvage of the vessel and the removal of passengers, but the initial efforts were unsuccessful, leading to a towlines breakage.

The Escapade, a 174-foot vessel, was carrying 96 passengers and 27 crewmembers when it grounded on a rocky bottom.

The passengers were then transported to the Coast guard Station at Tybee Island, Georgia, with four passengers hoisted off the ship via helicopter.

There were no injuries or pollution reported, apart from one passenger being taken to hospital because of high blood pressure.

According to initial reports, there was a malfunction in the ship’s course plotter, however, it has not been confirmed as the cause of the accident.

[mappress]
Press Release, July 18th, 2014; Image and video source: dvidshub