Rescuers airlifted five injured passengers and 10 people who couldn' t navigate the slippery rocks
HYANNISPORT, Mass. — At least five people were injured when a high-speed ferry struck a jetty in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, and began taking on water, the U. S. Coast Guard and steamship authority said.
The Coast Guard said 55 people were rescued overnight. Six people, including the captain and Coast Guard inspectors, remain on board.
The ferry Iyanough hit the jetty and grounded on the rocks at the Hyannis Harbor entrance around 10 p.m. Friday. It serves a 26-mile route between Nantucket and Hyannis. There were 48 passengers, 6 crew members and 3 food service workers on board the vessel at the time of the mishap.
The aircrew airlifted the five injured passengers as well as 10 uninjured passengers who were unable to navigate the slippery rocks. There were 57 people on board, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Matt Baker said in a statement that rough seas, strong winds and slippery rocks impeded the rescue efforts, but all passengers have been taken to safety.
The ferry is operated by the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, connecting the Massachusetts islands with the mainland. It can hold up to 400 people.