May 24, 2007
Thursday

Ketchikan, Alaska - The sternwheeler cruise ship Empress of the North that ran aground near Juneau last week is in Ketchikan for repairs at the Alaska Ship and Dry Dock facility. The Empress of the North left Juneau on Sunday and was accompanied by two tugboats on her way to Ketchikan.

The 360-foot ship will be inspected at the Alaska Ship and Dry Dock facility to determine if the Empress of the North needs to travel further south to complete the repairs.

The ship, owned an operated by Majestic America Line of Seattle, WA, ran aground 49 miles west of Juneau, Alaska near Hanus Reef in Lynn Canal on May 14th. All the passengers were evacuated from the Empress of the North by the U.S. Coast Guard and transferred to the Alaska Marine Highway ferry vessel Columbia for transit back to Juneau.

The ferry Columbia transported 252 passengers and crewmembers from the Empress of the North to Juneau where they were assisted further by a Unified Command team established in Juneau.

The Empress of the North hit a charted rock ripping several holes in the ship's hull. The National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard are investigating.

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Ketchikan, Alaska