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| Eisenhower Lock // Photo by Jimmy Emerson via flickr |
The cruise ship Saint Laurent, which struck the upstream bumper of the Eisenhower Lock on Thursday, June 18, was refloated Saturday and exited the lock chamber.
The ship impacted the lock in upstate New York at approximately, 9:15pm on Thursday June 18. There were 192 passengers, 81 crew, and a pilot on board the vessel. Of those individuals on board at the time, 30 required medical attention. All passengers and crew on board were safely evacuated from the vessel.
Shortly after the vessel struck the bumper, staff of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) on site at the Eisenhower Lockactivated the agency's emergency response plan and notified all the emergency services needed to respond to the incident. This team included the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the New York State Police, the Hogansburg Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department, the St. Regis Mohawk community, local emergency responders, medical personnel at the Massena Memorial Hospital, and many others. With all passengers safely secured, the SLSDC and its partners focused on moving the vessel safely away from Eisenhower Lock and resuming navigation as quickly as possible.
No pollution was detected as a result of incident. After a preliminary review, no significant damage to Eisenhower Lock infrastructure has been identified, but SLSDC safety inspectors are continuing their review.
As of 4 pm Saturday, navigation on the St. Lawrence Seaway resumed and vessels were once again transiting Eisenhower Lock. During the approximately 42 hours that navigation was suspended, 15 vessels were delayed.