Showboat Branson Belle Runs Aground

[chadster]

Date of occurence 12/11/10

 

BRANSON, Mo. -- More than 600 passengers and crew were expected to be stuck on a showboat overnight after high winds caused the vessel to run aground Saturday on a Missouri lake, officials said.

 

The Branson Belle ran aground at Poverty Point on Table Rock Lake.

 

The cruise began having problems with propulsion around 6 p.m., said Lisa Rau, a publicist for Herschend Family Entertainment which owns the boat. A tug boat was called to help, but wind picked up and the boat ran aground, Rau said.

 

At 11 p.m., officials decided it was best to let winds calm before trying to move the boat to where the passengers could disembark. About 567 passengers and 76 crew members were on board.

 

"The safest thing to do is leave it where it is at," said Sgt. Dan Bracker, spokesman for the Highway Patrol.

 

Bracker speculated it could be 6 a.m. Sunday before the vessel can be moved.

 

No injuries were reported, and Rau said all the passengers were dry.

 

She said three people on board had medical conditions unrelated to the grounding. An emergency medical technician was on board to help, Rau said.

 

 

FoxNews

 

AND

 

(KMOV) -- The Showboat Branson Belle is finally off-loading passengers Sunday morning after the boat ran aground Saturday night.

 

Overnight 9 passengers had to be rescued from the disabled boat for medical reasons. The remaining 558 passengers had to remain on the boat.

 

The boat apparently had problems with its thrusters and strong winds pushed it against a rocky shoreline. Crews had to cut down trees and make a path to get to the boat Sunday morning.

 

Here are links to television stations in Springfield for more coverage

 

KMOV

 

AND

 

=(Stone County, MO) -- Passengers are now being taken off the grounded Showboat Branson Belle, after spending the night onboard. The boat ran aground in high winds near the State Park Marina about 8:00 Saturday night.

 

Evacuation of the boat began after 8:00 this morning. The more than 600 passengers and crew were stranded on the grounded boat because it went aground in an area where there was no access road. Response crews had to build a temporary road and ramp to get to the boat. The high winds also made it unsafe for other rescue boats to approach the Showboat overnight.

 

In a morning news conference today, Lisa Rau, a spokesperson for Herschend Family Entertainment which owns the Showboat, said there were no injuries on-board, but that nine passengers were taken off the boat last night because of pre-existing health conditions.

 

The boat apparently ran into troubles with the wind. Western Taney County Fire says the boat lost propulsion and eventually ran ashore.

 

 

 

Our previous converage on this story:

 

10:07 p.m. UPDATE: A spokesperson for Showboat Branson Belle, Lisa Rau, says the boat had more than 640 guests and crew members on board.

 

Rau says everyone is safe. She says the current plan is to move the boat, which now has propulsion, to an inlet cove. There, crews will unload the passengers and buses will be available.

 

 

(Branson, MO) -- The Showboat Branson Belle has run aground with more than 600 passengers on board. Emergency crews say, overall, the passengers are safe.

 

However, Southern Stone County Fire Protection District says responders know of three medical situations, including two people who have had seizures. However, it is unclear if these conditions are in any way related to the incident Saturday.

 

The boat apparently ran into troubles with the wind. Western Taney County Fire says the boat lost propulsion and eventually ran ashore. It also reports passengers are safe and crews are working to get the boat back to shore.

 

Officials say it ran aground near State Park Marina.

 

A woman from Centralia, Mo, Jenae Dorman, says she's been on the boat since 4 p.m.

 

OzarkFirst

[SharkTums]

Saw this on the news this morning, very interesting.

 

It seems they're all getting free season passes to SDC! Woo!

[gisco]

It seems they're all getting free season passes to SDC! Woo!

 

They were probably thinking that most of these people are old and tourists that won't come back anyway so lets give them something they probably won't ever use so it won't cost us anything!