WSF ferry Walla Walla refloated after grounding
Written by Nick Blenkey
Washington State Department of Ecology tweeted this photograph of Walla Walla grounded just off Bainbridge Island last month.
The Washington State Ferries Jumbo Class ferry M/V Walla Walla was back in Bremerton, Sunday, after grounding at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday in Rich Passage, just off Bainbridge Island, when en route to Seattle from Bremerton.
There were 596 passengers and 15 crew members on the vessel when it grounded. The passengers were subsequently offloaded onto Kitsap Transit vessels.
The first group of passengers was taken to Bremerton via Kitsap Transit just after 8:30 p.m., according to WSF.
The ferry was subsequently refloated Saturday and returned to Bremerton with tug assistance..
According to Washington State Ferries, there were no reports of injuries and initial indications were that the Walla Walla had suffered a generator failure. An official investigation will be conducted.
The Washington State Department of Ecology said no pollution or hull damage was detected at the time of the grounding.
The 440 foot long double-ended Walla Walla has a maximum passenger capacity of 2,000. It was originally built in 1973 and rebuilt in 2003.
More on the vessel HERE
