Passengers who planned to ride the Willamette Queen sternwheeler through the Willamette Locks today watched from the bank after being removed from the vessel by the US Coast Guard.
The vessel was on an excursion destined for Willamette Locks when it ran aground at Oregon City about 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
āIt went over a table of rock in the middle of the river,ā said Barbara Chesbrough, whose husband, Richard Chesbrough, captains the riverboat.
The Coast Guard is investigating the incident, Lt. Roberto Trevino said.
āWe donāt know what the cause of the grounding was,ā Trevino said, adding that it could be environment or mariner issues, for example.
āIt ruined the ride for a lot of people,ā Barbara Chesbrough said.
About 80 passengers donned life jackets and were confined to the vessel Sunday while they waited for a tugboat to unstick the sternwheeler.
Passengers who paid for a ride on the sternwheeler through the locks today were not allowed to stay on the vessel because of safety concerns, Chesbrough said.
The vessel previously ran aground Nov. 8 near McClain Island in Salem after a current swept it into a gravel bar where it scraped bottom, officials said at the time.
The vessel was on an excursion destined for Willamette Locks when it ran aground at Oregon City about 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
āIt went over a table of rock in the middle of the river,ā said Barbara Chesbrough, whose husband, Richard Chesbrough, captains the riverboat.
The Coast Guard is investigating the incident, Lt. Roberto Trevino said.
āWe donāt know what the cause of the grounding was,ā Trevino said, adding that it could be environment or mariner issues, for example.
āIt ruined the ride for a lot of people,ā Barbara Chesbrough said.
About 80 passengers donned life jackets and were confined to the vessel Sunday while they waited for a tugboat to unstick the sternwheeler.
Passengers who paid for a ride on the sternwheeler through the locks today were not allowed to stay on the vessel because of safety concerns, Chesbrough said.
The vessel previously ran aground Nov. 8 near McClain Island in Salem after a current swept it into a gravel bar where it scraped bottom, officials said at the time.
