March 14, 2015
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard responded to a ferry that ran aground Saturday approximately one mile south of Ocracoke, North Carolina.
The captain of the Silver Lake, a 220-foot passenger and vehicle ferry, contacted Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders via mobile phone at approximately 5 p.m., reporting they drifted into shallow water and became stuck.
Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders dispatched a crew aboard a 47-foot Motor Life Boat from Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet to assist.
The Station Hatteras Inlet crew removed 14 passengers from the ferry and took them to the Ocracoke South Ferry Terminal.
The crew of the Silver Lake plans to attempt to re-float the ferry Sunday with the assistance of the crew aboard the tugboat Royal Engineer.
There is no report of injuries, pollution or damage.