All passengers aboard a whale-watching vessel are safe after the Coast Guard says it beached itself on Annette Island, south of Ketchikan.
The Coast Guard received a Mayday call at around 9 a.m. Thursday morning from the 51-foot Eagle One Express, which was taking on water near Nichols Passage. Two Coast Guard response boats and four good Samaritan vessels arrived on the scene about 15 minutes later to find the vessel had beached itself.
All 36 passengers were brought back to Ketchikan with no reported injuries. The vessel was refloated and is being towed to Ketchikan.
The Coast Guard says there are no reports of pollution. The cause of the incident is still under investigation.
Eagle One Enterprises, the company that owns the vessel, could not immediately be reached for comment.
This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.
Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.
