The U.S. Coast Guard said the 64-foot pedestrian ferry Adventure was towed Thursday from a sandbar in the Southport Channel to Wilmington for inspection.
Coast Guard Lt. Lane Munroe said Bald Head Island Transportation refloated the Adventure about 9 a.m. and took it to Wilmington Marine Center, where it will be inspected by a contractor hired by the owner. The Coast Guard will also inspect the boat as part of its investigation into what caused the accident.
Munroe said the boat was outside of the marked channel when it hit the sandbar during low tide on Tuesday. At least 30 people were on the ferry at the time of the accident.SOUTHPORT, N.C. (AP) -- The ferry that ran aground on a sandbar on the North Carolina coast remains stuck despite efforts to refloat it during high tide.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, personnel from boat owner Bald Head Island Transportation attempted to refloat the Adventure during high tide Wednesday without success.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Craig Rooke said the owners must resubmit a salvage plan for Coast Guard approval. Among the items taken into consideration when approving a plan is if the boat could pollute the waterway.
The 64-foot ferry ran aground shortly after leaving Southport for Bald Head Island on Tuesday. At least 30 people were on the ferry, and 14 people were transported to nearby hospitals.
Coast Guard investigators are looking into the cause of the crash.
