The 139 meter long river passenger ship Viking Legend went aground on the Danube River near Strudengau, Austria. The vessel was passing through a narrow section when it became stuck. The pushing towboat Aries arrived on scene and was able refloat the Viking Legend after a few attempts. No reports of injuries or pollution released. The Viking Legend was able to continue on its voyage.
The 280 meter long, 7000 dwt passenger cruise ship Grandeur of the Seas suffered a fire while off West End, Bahamas. The fire started in the aft mooring area and spread to the deck above into a crew lounge area. The crew responded and were able to extinguish the blaze. No reports of injuries to the crew or the 2,224 passengers on board. The Grandeur of the Seas proceeded under its own power to Freeport. The vessel moored while it underwent inspection. Further reports stated the Grandeur of the Seas cancelled the remainder of its voyage and its passengers where flown back to Baltimore, Maryland and will receive a full refund.
The passenger ship Lady Helen struck bottom off Pembrokeshire, Wales. The Lady Helen was en route to Skomer Island from Martin’s Haven with 48 passengers when it struck a rock. The vessel sent out a distress call with the RNLI lifeboats from Angle and St David along with several vessels in the area. The passenger ship Dale Princess was first on scene and pulled the Lady Helen off the rock. The Dale Princess took the Lady Helen under tow and headed back to Martin’s Haven. However, the Lady Helen had suffered hull damage and began to sink. It was decided that all 48 passengers on the Lady Helen should be transferred to other vessels which had arrived on scene. All passengers were safely transferred. No reports of injuries or pollution released. The Lady Helen was beached near Martin’s Haven to prevent it from sinking. The RNLI brought additional dewatering pumps to control the flooding so that the Lady Helen can be pulled further up the shore.
