Mass. Ferry Gets Stuck Twice at Sea in One Month Period

According to Professional Mariner, a high-speed catamaran ferry became stranded twice at sea last summer, with one incident requiring employees and passengers to stay on the vessel overnight.

The news outlet reported that Boston Harbor Cruises operates the Cetacea, the vessel involved in the incidents, and that the U.S. Coast Guard is still investigating why the boat stranded passengers at sea in July last year and grounded near Lynn, Massachusetts, in August.

The first incident occurred during a whale-watching cruise with 157 passengers onboard—the vessel was about 14 miles off shore, with reports indicating that a submerged cable was caught on the vessel’s port propeller. The boat was reportedly traveling in a restricted area when the incident occurred. Passengers onboard were forced to stay on the vessel overnight while a response team provided food and water.

The August grounding incident occurred with about 10 passengers onboard, when the vessel ran aground about 1,500 feet from a pier. The accident occurred during low tide and remains under investigation. It should be noted that Boston Harbor Cruises is the largest passenger vessel operator in New England.

Thankfully, nobody was harmed in either incident.

Do I Have Legal Rights If I am Injured on a Passenger Boat?

Even though nobody was injured in the incidents above, it shows how accidents can occur on passenger vessels like ferries. Some of the reasons why ferry accidents occur include human and operator error, faulty equipment, crowded waters, and rough and poor weather conditions.

Commercial vessel operators have a duty to make sure that employees are properly trained and that conditions are fair before allowing a vessel to depart—the failure to do so could result in serious passenger injuries.

In the video above, attorney David Anderson discusses injuries and maritime accidents that can lead to litigation. For more information about maritime and admiralty news, visit our Facebook or Twitter pages, and continue to follow our blog.

Latti & Anderson LLPNationwide Maritime Attorneys

Source: http://www.professionalmariner.com/February-2015/Mass-passenger-vessel-gets-stuck-at-sea-twice-in-one-month-period/