skibum
Well-Known Member
What a way to end a dinner cruise.
TABLE ROCK LAKE, Mo. —
UPDATE: After more than 15 hours aboard the Showboat Branson Belle, passengers are finaly disembarking from the stranded boat.
Crews cleared trees to build a road and a ramp in order to reach the boat, which ran aground near State Park Marina.
There are 567 passengers and 76 crew members onboard the Showboat, said Lisa Rau, a spokeswoman for Herschend Family Entertainment.
Throughout the evening, emergency workers had to rescue nine people because of medical reasons. The other passengers have had to wait until the ramp and road were constructed.
The wind was so strong Saturday night it blew the Showboat Branson Belle aground during its cruise with guests onboard.
The Belle and local authorities tell KY3 there are no serious injuries and the nine people who were rescued early requested so as a medical precaution.
Management tells KY3 as the 4 p.m. cruise was heading back to port Saturday night, the Belle had problems with its thrusters. The boat had to sit "quiet" on the lake and wait for a tugboat. As the showboat was waiting, the winds slowly pushed it to shore.
A passenger told KY3 over the phone Saturday night, most of the 567 passengers are calm but some are panicking.
The passenger also says the captain announced it was not safe to evacuate the boat where they came aground. He said the rocky shoreline is covered in ice and it was simply too risky to have hundreds of people try to make their way ashore under the conditions.
Busses are scheduled to pick-up the passengers from Poverty Point on Table Rock Lake and take them to the nearby Belle's parking lot. A first responder on scene tells KY3, "it's gonna be a long night."
KY3 Meteorologist Brandon Beck says the Branson Airport had a maximum gust of 45-miles-per-hour Saturday night.
At this point officials aren't sure if there's any structural damage to the Belle itself.
TABLE ROCK LAKE, Mo. —
UPDATE: After more than 15 hours aboard the Showboat Branson Belle, passengers are finaly disembarking from the stranded boat.
Crews cleared trees to build a road and a ramp in order to reach the boat, which ran aground near State Park Marina.
There are 567 passengers and 76 crew members onboard the Showboat, said Lisa Rau, a spokeswoman for Herschend Family Entertainment.
Throughout the evening, emergency workers had to rescue nine people because of medical reasons. The other passengers have had to wait until the ramp and road were constructed.
The wind was so strong Saturday night it blew the Showboat Branson Belle aground during its cruise with guests onboard.
The Belle and local authorities tell KY3 there are no serious injuries and the nine people who were rescued early requested so as a medical precaution.
Management tells KY3 as the 4 p.m. cruise was heading back to port Saturday night, the Belle had problems with its thrusters. The boat had to sit "quiet" on the lake and wait for a tugboat. As the showboat was waiting, the winds slowly pushed it to shore.
A passenger told KY3 over the phone Saturday night, most of the 567 passengers are calm but some are panicking.
The passenger also says the captain announced it was not safe to evacuate the boat where they came aground. He said the rocky shoreline is covered in ice and it was simply too risky to have hundreds of people try to make their way ashore under the conditions.
Busses are scheduled to pick-up the passengers from Poverty Point on Table Rock Lake and take them to the nearby Belle's parking lot. A first responder on scene tells KY3, "it's gonna be a long night."
KY3 Meteorologist Brandon Beck says the Branson Airport had a maximum gust of 45-miles-per-hour Saturday night.
At this point officials aren't sure if there's any structural damage to the Belle itself.
