VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Nov. 8 (UPI) -- The captain of a small shallow-draft cruise ship deliberately ran it aground early Thursday in the Intracoastal Waterway in Virginia.
The Coast Guard evacuated 61 passengers from the Spirit of Nantucket, The Newport News Daily Press reported.
The captain notified the Coast Guard before 6 a.m. that water was coming into the hull. He ran the bow into shallow water 3 miles south of the Pungo River Bridge to prevent the vessel from sinking and tied up to a tree.
No one was injured. Passengers were reportedly in good spirits after waiting almost four hours to get off the ship.
A Coast Guard helicopter delivered a pump to the five crew members.
The Spirit of Nantucket, operated by Cruise West, based in Seattle, was on a 10-day voyage along the Intracoastal Waterway in Virginia and the Carolinas. Cruise Ship Report said the 207-foot vessel has a draft of only 8 feet, making it suitable for river and coastal cruises.
