Crashed Cruise Ship Refloated; St. Lawrence Seaway Reopens
The cruise ship MS Saint Laurent has been re-floated, all passengers are safely off and the lock has been re-opened, following the collision on last Thursday.
"Today (Saturday afternoon), the passenger cruise ship Saint Laurent was safely re-floated and exited the Eisenhower Lock chamber in Massena, New York. At 4 p.m. this afternoon, navigation on the St. Lawrence Seaway resumed and vessels are once again transiting Eisenhower Lock. During the approximately 42 hours that navigation was suspended, 15 vessels were delayed," an official statement from St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation said.
The vessel was freed from the lock wall with the assistance of the tug Pierre Julien and was moved to a lower wall of the seaway, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Divers conducted a survey of the vessel and determined that the extent of the damage was to the bow of the vessel and that the vessel can sail under its own power.
All the remaining passengers left the vessel Friday, and the ship is now headed to the shipyard for repairs.
The ship's operator, Miami-based FleetPro, said 19 passengers and three crew members were treated at Massena Memorial Hospital and released. The company said all the injuries were minor.