Inspectors Trying To Determine What Caused NYC Ferry Boat To Strike Underwater Pylon
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Inspectors are looking into why a NYC Ferry boat ended up stranded in the East River after striking an underwater pylon.
The boat named the "Zelinsky" was docked Tuesday morning at Pier 15 in need of repair.
During the Monday evening rush, the ferry got stuck just 100 feet from Pier 11 Wall Street, the captain making a call for an emergency evacuation.
"The boat just started trembling a little bit and the captain said we're stuck in the mud because of the low tide," said passenger Luke Miszczuk. "You could feel that rumble of the rotors hitting the sea floor. He tried to tilt the boat around, move it but there was no way."
"We were crowded, we were hungry," said passenger Leslie Mahoney.
Newly released video from NYPD infrared cameras shows passengers jumping into the waiting arms of rescuers.
Police said 114 passengers and one dog were evacuated after the boat snagged a hole in its hull. Joseph Hajjar was one of the passengers transferred to a rescue boat.
"Given the fact of what happened it was really seamless," he told CBS2's Magdalena Doris.
With the help of a rescue boat, he and the other passengers made the voyage back to the pier in about one minute as crews worked to pump the incoming water out.
"Everyone was wonderful, the response was fantastic," Hajjar said. "They made an announcement once the boat got stuck, they tried very hard to get the boat moving, but I guess it's an old boat -- got stuck in the mud."
According to the Economic Development Corporation, which oversees the NYC Ferry, the boat got stuck on a debris field at low tide and a pylon ripped two holes in the hull.
"It's been there for sometime and it's well known," said James Patchett with the Economic Development Corporation. "It's not generally been an issue but it's known by captains to be an issue and it depends on the tides."
Ferry routes out of Pier 11 Wall Street have not been readjusted, the economic development corporation says captains have standard equipment to help them avoid the pile field found just about 100 feet from the pier.
No word on when the ferry will be repaired and back up and running.
The Economic Development Corporation says it is interviewing all of the ferry mechanics and crew members on board.
Tuesday morning's commute was not affected by the incident.
