A passenger boat got aground on Saturday in Rich Passage, Washington, near Bainbridge Island, and all passengers have now departed safely.
According to a tweet from the US Coast Guard Pacific Northwest, who reacted to the site, there were 596 passengers and 15 crew members on board. According to the latest information provided by Washington State Ferries, all passengers had successfully disembarked at 10 p.m.
Washington State Ferries tweeted that the ferry Walla Walla had run aground between Bremerton and Seattle at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Washington State Ferries stated that there were no injuries. The government has said that preliminary evidence points to a "generator failure" aboard the vessel and that an official inquiry would be conducted shortly.
Washington State Ferries reported its customers were moved to Kitsap Transit ships for the trip to Bremerton. Passengers whose vehicles were aboard the stalled boat were told to pick them up in Bremerton the next day.
The authorities expressed gratitude for the assistance rendered in making the most of an unfavorable circumstance, acknowledging that it may not be optimal. This was conveyed through a tweet. The company has announced that they are currently engaged in developing a procedure to reimburse all customers who were unable to complete their trips this evening.
According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, "no pollution or hull damage" was found as a result of the shipwreck.
According to CNN affiliate KOMO, one passenger onboard the Walla Walla when it went aground reported hearing sirens and watching lights flicker as the ship lost power.
According to Matt Holyoak, the ferry experienced a loss of power following the activation of sirens and flickering of lights.
As per the report by KOMO, the individual stated that an announcement was made instructing all individuals to proceed to the passenger deck due to the loss of steering control and to prepare for impact. Consequently, all individuals present were seated and experiencing a sense of unease.
It takes about an hour to go from Bremerton to Seattle, as stated on the Washington State Department of Transportation website. On Sunday, another ship, the Issaquah, was sent out by the department to take over the Walla Walla's itinerary.
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