NYC ferry runs around after steering malfunction and 118 passengers and seven crew are evacuated safely
- The FDNY and Coast Guard responded to a ‘water rescue’ after a Seastreak ferry began to take on water at the Bushwick Inlet on Saturday afternoon
- Fire officials said all 125 people on board, including 118 passengers and seven crew members, were safely removed from the vessel
- Only one crew member suffered minor injuries and was transferred to a local hospital
- Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Anthony Pappaly said the ship took on water after running into rocks and investigators are looking at the ship’s steering
Fire officials helped evacuate over 100 people after a ferry ran aground near the shoreline of Bushwick Inlet Park in Brooklyn.
The FDNY and Coast Guard responded to a ‘water rescue’ after a Seastreak ferry began to take on water at the Bushwick Inlet on Saturday afternoon, the New York Fire Department posted on Twitter.
Fire officials said the first distress calls for the ferry, which runs routes between New York and New Jersey, were made shortly after 4 PM
FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Gala said marine units already in nearby waters were able to respond within minutes, NBC New York reported.
Gala said all 125 people on board, including 118 passengers and seven crew members, were safely removed from the vessel.
The Seastreak Commodore, (pictured) which can hold up to 600 people ran aground in Brooklyn on Saturday
The FDNY and Coast Guard responded to a ‘water rescue’ after a Seastreak ferry began to take on water at the Bushwick Inlet on Saturday afternoon
All passengers and crew were safely rescued from the vessel after FDNY and Coast Guard officials arrived at the scene
FDNY fire fighters (pictured) arrived to the scene quickly and helped evacuate over 100 people from the vessel that crashed into rocks after mechanical issues
Gala added that only one crew member suffered minor injuries and was transferred to a local hospital.
Passengers were removed from the vessel by FDNY and NYPD boats and taken to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Gala said.
Three small Coast Guard boats also were sent from Staten Island to assist with the rescue.
Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Anthony Pappaly said the ship took on water after running into rocks, the New York Daily News reported.
Gala said the investigations into the incident were still ongoing but that Coast Guard investigators are looking at the vessel’s steering, NBC New York reported.
A passenger aboard the Seastreak ferry described the chaotic experience.
‘All of a sudden it swerved to the right and went into an inlet,’ the passenger told NBC News ‘The crew was telling us ”sit down sit down,” screaming ”sit down sit down.” We felt it run aground, the boat was shaking.’
Over 100 passengers were evacuated from the vessel by FDNY and Coast Guard officials after it ran aground in Brooklyn on Saturday
Footage captured by onlookers showed passengers being lifted from the ship by FDNY ladders
A flotilla of city and Coast Guard boats helped evacuate over 100 passengers from the Seastreak ferry that ran aground in Brooklyn
The Seastreak Commodore (pictured) ran aground after mechanical issues interfered with the steering wheel
¿¿#BREAKING:FDNY responding to a ¿water rescue¿ for a Sea streak ferry run aground at Bushwick Inlet in Brooklyn, NYC
Reports the ship is sinking Marine units Advise they are still in the process of evaluating approximately 150 civilians pic.twitter.com/51HGk2SBxs
— R A W S ¿¿ L E R T S (@rawsalerts) June 5, 2021
In a statement, Seastreak said a mechanical issue caused the ferry to lose power and steering.
‘Just after 4pm today, while traveling along the East River to E. 35th St. in Manhattan from Highlands, NJ, the Commodore experienced a mechanical issue that caused the vessel to lose power and steering,’ the statement read. ‘The vessel slowly drifted into Bushwick Inlet on the Brooklyn side of the East River and came to rest along the shore,’ the company said.
Footage captured by onlookers showed the vessel tipping slowly to the side and passengers being lifted from the ship by FDNY ladders.
The Seastreak Commodore, which can hold up to 600 people, is 150 feet wide and 40 feet long and has three passenger decks, the company’s website said.
Saturday’s crash was not the company’s first.
In 2013 several dozen passengers on a commuter ferry were injured after a ferry struck near Pier 11, at South Street and Gouverneur Lane, the New York Times reported.