New casino boat with 123 people aboard stuck on rocks off Georgia coast

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New casino boat with 123 people aboard stuck on rocks off Georgia coast

The Escapade stuck off the coast of Georgia. Viewer submitted photo to WTOC

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. -- A casino boat on its maiden voyage has gotten off to a rocky start off the coast of Georgia, CBS affiliate WTOC reports.

U.S. Coast Guard officials said the boat with 123 people aboard is stuck on rocks off the coast of Georgia. When a tugboat came to pull the stranded vessel, the towline snapped, WTOC reports.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony L. Soto said 96 passengers and 27 crew members are aboard the 174-foot-long vessel The Escapade.

Passengers stuck on the ship sent several images to WTOC, with one person on board reporting they "are sideways, stuck on something, everyone has life jackets on."

Soto told The Associated Press that no injuries or medical issues have been reported, and the vessel was "stable" as of 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Soto said the boat is about 1.8 miles off the north end of Tybee Island, a popular beach destination near Savannah.

Soto said the Coast Guard received reports that the vessel had run aground around midnight Tuesday.

The Escapade is a casino ship operated by Florida-based Tradewinds Casino Cruise. The company's Facebook page said that Tuesday night was to be the maiden voyage for its Savannah cruise service and passengers were invited to board for free.

The casino boat's first Savannah cruise was scheduled to run from 7 p.m. Tuesday night until 12:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to the company's website. It describes the vessel as a three-story ship capable of carrying 500 passengers. It's outfitted with slot machines, poker and blackjack tables and a roulette wheel.

Tradewinds Casino Cruise did not immediately respond to phone messages left Wednesday morning at the company's Savannah office and its headquarters in Madeira Beach, Fla.

Passengers aboard the ship were wearing life vests as a precaution as they awaited help, Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Lauren Jorgensen said.

"My understanding is the ship has generators to provide power," Jorgensen said, though she didn't know many specifics about conditions on board.

"The area is too shallow for our boats to come alongside so we do not actually have personnel on board," she said. "They can see the vessel, they just can't get on scene."

If any of the passengers or crew members were to need medical attention, the Coast Guard could use a helicopter to reach the casino boat, she said.

"But right now there are no medical concerns that would cause us to use that," Jorgensen said.

Some passengers appear to be standing on the stern of the three-story casino boat and looking out toward the water in a photo provided by the Coast Guard.


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