The state ferry Lituya went aground on Tuesday at about 2:50 p.m. near Annette Bay in Southeast Alaska. The small ferry runs a daily shuttle service between Ketchikan and Metlakatla.
The brief grounding happened when the ferry left Annette Bay dock. It lasted less than a minute, according to Shannon McCarthy, a spokesperson with the Alaska Department of Transportation. She says the grounding is “a rare event” in Alaska’s fleet.
But the Lituya was out of service until Friday while inspections were conducted. Officials found damage to the ship’s hull, but not enough to keep it tied up. It is sailing on a limited schedule in daylight hours until it can be dry-docked in early February.
The U.S. Coast Guard led the investigation into the grounding.
