Celebrity Ship Crashes Into Pier in Alaska
by Gene Sloan of USA Today
A Celebrity Cruises ship on Friday smashed into a pier in Ketchikan, Alaska, causing millions of dollars in damage.
Video of the accident posted online shows the port side of the 2,170-passenger Celebrity Infinity forcefully hitting the pier, which then breaks apart and crashes into the water.
The Infinity suffered a noticeable gash to its hull above the water line. In a statement, Celebrity called it “minor scraping damage” and said it already had been repaired. No one was injured.
Celebrity blamed poor weather for the incident, which occurred as the Infinity was pulling into Ketchikan for a day visit. Wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour were reported in the area as the ship arrived.
The U.S. Coast Guard says it is investigating.
“The Coast Guard is grateful no one was injured as a result of this accident,” Lt. Dianna Robinson, the command duty officer at the Coast Guard’s local office, said in a statement. “Our personnel are working to determine the cause of this accident and will work with local partners to ensure the continued safety of those using the cruise ship docks.”
The incident comes just a month after another large cruise ship, the Carnival Pride, crashed into a gangway in Baltimore.
Ketchikan harbor master Steve Corporon said the damage to the Ketchikan pier would cost $2 million to $3 million to repair, according to the Associated Press, which cites local news outlets.
Ship Captains should have enough training and experience to safely guide their ships into port in windy conditions. The amount of incidents in the past few years is totally unacceptable. This should not have happened.