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Great Lakes, 29 Jul 2010

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River Rouge From: After 01-Jan-1967

Precis:	Grounded in Red River, N of Winnipeg, in 50 02 N 97 01 W, 29 Jul 2010. Passengers taken off by Coast Guard vessel. Refloating attempts unsuccessful 29 Jul. Still aground 04 Aug. No damage reported. Refloated 05 Aug by tug.
Related Links:	Vessel Location
Reasons:	Wrecked/stranded (aground)
Origin:	n/a
Destination:	n/a
IMO:	n/a
Flag at Time:	Canada
Class at Time:	n/a
Registered Owner At Time:	River Rouge Tours Ltd
Beneficial Owner At Time:	River Rouge Tours Ltd
Loss:	n/a
Cargo:	69 passengers
Deaths:	n/a
People Missing:	n/a
Injuries:	n/a
Pollution:	n/a
In Port:	No
Location:	50°2'0'' N by 97°1'0'' W

Casualty Reports: River Rouge (Canada) 30 July 2010, 08:32

Message text:	London, Jul 30 -- A press report, dated Jul 29, states: Passenger (cruise) River Rouge (450 gt, built 1967) ran aground on the Red River just north of Winnipeg today. The vessel was on a journey from Winnipeg's Redwood Bridge to Lower Fort Garry, north of the city, when it got stuck on the riverbed at around 1100 hrs. A tug was called in from Lockport, Manitoba, to try to free the vessel, but was unsuccessful. The RCMP said they were notified at around 1300 hrs that the vessel had run aground on a sandbar or rock reef. Police said there were 69 passengers and an unknown number of crew members on board the vessel. One of the passengers said several attempts to free the vessel during the day were unsuccessful. The RCMP were monitoring events from the shoreline. A Transport Canada investigator was on the scene. A small Coast Guard rescue boat from Gimli, on Lake Winnipeg, was moved by truck to the site this evening and began ferrying groups of passengers to a dock and waiting buses about three kilometres south of the vessel. The rescue was expected to take several hours, as the Coast Guard boat was able to take only six to eight passengers at a time. Coast guard officials said that navigation markers have historically been placed in the Red River in that area to mark shallow water. It appeared the markers may have been washed away by high water during the spring.

Message text:

London, Jul 30 -- A press report, dated Jul 29, states: Passenger (cruise) River Rouge (450 gt, built 1967) ran aground on the Red River just north of Winnipeg today. The vessel was on a journey from Winnipeg's Redwood Bridge to Lower Fort Garry, north of the city, when it got stuck on the riverbed at around 1100 hrs. A tug was called in from Lockport, Manitoba, to try to free the vessel, but was unsuccessful. The RCMP said they were notified at around 1300 hrs that the vessel had run aground on a sandbar or rock reef. Police said there were 69 passengers and an unknown number of crew members on board the vessel. One of the passengers said several attempts to free the vessel during the day were unsuccessful. The RCMP were monitoring events from the shoreline. A Transport Canada investigator was on the scene. A small Coast Guard rescue boat from Gimli, on Lake Winnipeg, was moved by truck to the site this evening and began ferrying groups of passengers to a dock and waiting buses about three kilometres south of the vessel. The rescue was expected to take several hours, as the Coast Guard boat was able to take only six to eight passengers at a time. Coast guard officials said that navigation markers have historically been placed in the Red River in that area to mark shallow water. It appeared the markers may have been washed away by high water during the spring.

Casualty Reports: River Rouge (Canada) 30 July 2010, 20:37

Message text:	London, Jul 30 -- Passenger (cruise) River Rouge, while on an excursion tour in the Upper Red River, near Lister Rapids, Manitoba, with 97 passengers on board, grounded north of Winnepeg, in lat 50 02N, long 97 01W, at 1334, ADST, Jul 29. The Canadian Coast Guard was tasked to shuttle passengers to shore.

Casualty Reports: River Rouge (Canada) 31 July 2010, 13:49

Message text:	London, Jul 31 -- A press report, dated Jul 30, states: Passenger (cruise) River Rouge was still aground today, one day after becoming stuck in a shallow section of the Red River. The vessel ran aground yesterday with 69 passengers on board. They were all ferried to shore safely. The vessel's owner, Kyriakos Vogiatzakis, today blamed the Coast Guard for the vessel grounding in two feet of water during a cruise to Lower Fort Garry. Vogiatzakis said there were no buoys in place to warn vessels of the shallow water. "The river wasn�t marked like it should be and it looked deep", Vogiatzakis said. Carol Launderville of the Canadian Coast Guard said vessel operators knew the absence of buoys meant the river was unsafe. "The master of River Rouge signed a waiver with Public Works and Government Services Canada, acknowledging that normal summer water levels were not present and that until the buoys are placed into position the Red River is not considered safe for navigation,� she said. Launderville added; "The placement of buoys is co-ordinated between the Canadian Coast Guard and the St. Andrews Lock and Dam, which controls water levels from Lockport to Winnipeg and tributary waterways."

Message text:

London, Jul 31 -- A press report, dated Jul 30, states: Passenger (cruise) River Rouge was still aground today, one day after becoming stuck in a shallow section of the Red River. The vessel ran aground yesterday with 69 passengers on board. They were all ferried to shore safely. The vessel's owner, Kyriakos Vogiatzakis, today blamed the Coast Guard for the vessel grounding in two feet of water during a cruise to Lower Fort Garry. Vogiatzakis said there were no buoys in place to warn vessels of the shallow water. "The river wasn�t marked like it should be and it looked deep", Vogiatzakis said. Carol Launderville of the Canadian Coast Guard said vessel operators knew the absence of buoys meant the river was unsafe. "The master of River Rouge signed a waiver with Public Works and Government Services Canada, acknowledging that normal summer water levels were not present and that until the buoys are placed into position the Red River is not considered safe for navigation,� she said. Launderville added; "The placement of buoys is co-ordinated between the Canadian Coast Guard and the St. Andrews Lock and Dam, which controls water levels from Lockport to Winnipeg and tributary waterways."

Casualty Reports: River Rouge (Canada) 01 August 2010, 11:50

Message text:	London, Aug 1 -- A press report, dated today, states: Passenger (cruise) River Rouge remained stuck in the mud along the Red River north of Winnipeg last night. As of 2000 hrs, the vessel remained about 150 feet off the west bank of the river, in the Rural Municipality of West St. Paul. The vessel ran aground on Thursday morning (Jul 29) after leaving Winnipeg's Redwood Docks on its way north to Lower Fort Garry for an all-day cruise. About 80 passengers and crew members were stranded for much of the day before they were evacuated. The vessel's owner, Kyriakos Vogiatzakis, said last night he was waiting for the federal government to give permission for the locks at Lockport to be used to raise the level of the Red River and thereby free the vessel, so it can begin operating again.

Message text:

London, Aug 1 -- A press report, dated today, states: Passenger (cruise) River Rouge remained stuck in the mud along the Red River north of Winnipeg last night. As of 2000 hrs, the vessel remained about 150 feet off the west bank of the river, in the Rural Municipality of West St. Paul. The vessel ran aground on Thursday morning (Jul 29) after leaving Winnipeg's Redwood Docks on its way north to Lower Fort Garry for an all-day cruise. About 80 passengers and crew members were stranded for much of the day before they were evacuated. The vessel's owner, Kyriakos Vogiatzakis, said last night he was waiting for the federal government to give permission for the locks at Lockport to be used to raise the level of the Red River and thereby free the vessel, so it can begin operating again.

Casualty Reports: River Rouge (Canada) 01 August 2010, 18:48

Message text:	London, Aug 1 -- A press report, dated today, states: Passenger (cruise) River Rouge is still stuck after running aground on the Red River just outside Winnepeg Thursday afternoon (Jul 29). Owner Kyriakos Vogiatzakis spent yesterday with heavy-equipment operators trying to pull the boat free using ropes -- but the ropes weren't heavy enough for the job and snapped, he said. Yesterday, Vogiatzakis said he was trying to convince officials to close the curtains at the St. Andrews Lock and Dam to raise the water south of Lockport. He estimated it would take only a few hours for the water to rise enough to refloat the River Rouge. However, he doesn't know when that might happen and the long weekend was not helping, with many key players away from their desks, he added. If there is no change in the lock situation today, Vogiatzakis hopes to bring in another company with heavier equipment and cables to try again to dislodge the boat. "We might try a different angle or approach," he said. "I'm a little concerned for the safety of the vessel ... we are going to get hung up even more." After a late start to the season, Vogiatzakis is disappointed to have to cancel bookings on a long weekend with beautiful weather. He had to turn away dozens of people who hadn't heard about the mishap and showed up at the dock for a family afternoon cruise yesterday, he said. Reservations for evening and night cruises yesterday also had to be cancelled. Vogiatzakis is hopeful the vessel will be freed in time for a late-night event today in partnership with a local radio station. He doesn't believe the vessel has been damaged by its days in the mire and hopes he'll be ready to go by this evening after a Transport Canada inspection. "(The vessel) is not taking on any water," he said. "It is just a matter of getting this thing to float again."

Message text:

London, Aug 1 -- A press report, dated today, states: Passenger (cruise) River Rouge is still stuck after running aground on the Red River just outside Winnepeg Thursday afternoon (Jul 29). Owner Kyriakos Vogiatzakis spent yesterday with heavy-equipment operators trying to pull the boat free using ropes -- but the ropes weren't heavy enough for the job and snapped, he said. Yesterday, Vogiatzakis said he was trying to convince officials to close the curtains at the St. Andrews Lock and Dam to raise the water south of Lockport. He estimated it would take only a few hours for the water to rise enough to refloat the River Rouge. However, he doesn't know when that might happen and the long weekend was not helping, with many key players away from their desks, he added. If there is no change in the lock situation today, Vogiatzakis hopes to bring in another company with heavier equipment and cables to try again to dislodge the boat. "We might try a different angle or approach," he said. "I'm a little concerned for the safety of the vessel ... we are going to get hung up even more." After a late start to the season, Vogiatzakis is disappointed to have to cancel bookings on a long weekend with beautiful weather. He had to turn away dozens of people who hadn't heard about the mishap and showed up at the dock for a family afternoon cruise yesterday, he said. Reservations for evening and night cruises yesterday also had to be cancelled. Vogiatzakis is hopeful the vessel will be freed in time for a late-night event today in partnership with a local radio station. He doesn't believe the vessel has been damaged by its days in the mire and hopes he'll be ready to go by this evening after a Transport Canada inspection. "(The vessel) is not taking on any water," he said. "It is just a matter of getting this thing to float again."

Casualty Reports: River Rouge (Canada) 03 August 2010, 12:19

Message text:	London, Aug 3 -- A press report, dated Aug 2, states: Passenger (cruise) River Rouge is still stuck on the same sandbar where it went aground last Thursday morning (Jul 29). The vessel's owner asked government officials over the weekend to close the curtains at the St. Andrews Lock and Dam, in an effort to raise water levels enough to free the vessel. A diver will be checking underneath the vessel today, to see how hard it is aground.

Message text:

London, Aug 3 -- A press report, dated Aug 2, states: Passenger (cruise) River Rouge is still stuck on the same sandbar where it went aground last Thursday morning (Jul 29). The vessel's owner asked government officials over the weekend to close the curtains at the St. Andrews Lock and Dam, in an effort to raise water levels enough to free the vessel. A diver will be checking underneath the vessel today, to see how hard it is aground.

Casualty Reports: River Rouge (Canada) 05 August 2010, 11:24

Message text:	Toronto, Aug 4 -- Passenger (cruise) River Rouge is still aground,stuck on a soft mudbank, as there is insufficient depth of water for her to refloat. The vessel is in no apparent danger and there is no indication of any damage. The vessel's owner is trying to convince the authorities to raise the water level in order to refloat the vessel. -- Lloyd's Agents. (Note -- River Rouge ran aground on a sandbar in the Red River, just north of Winnipeg, on Jul 29.)

Message text:

Toronto, Aug 4 -- Passenger (cruise) River Rouge is still aground,stuck on a soft mudbank, as there is insufficient depth of water for her to refloat. The vessel is in no apparent danger and there is no indication of any damage. The vessel's owner is trying to convince the authorities to raise the water level in order to refloat the vessel. -- Lloyd's Agents. (Note -- River Rouge ran aground on a sandbar in the Red River, just north of Winnipeg, on Jul 29.)

Casualty Reports: River Rouge (Canada) 06 August 2010, 06:22

Message text:	Portsmouth, UK, Aug 6 -- Passenger (cruise) River Rouge, which grounded in a shallow section of the Red River's Lister Rapids around 1030, Jul 29, was refloated with tug assistance around 0515 yesterday and was moving to a mooring at the Alexander Docks in Winnipeg. -- Correspondent.

Casualty Reports: River Rouge (Canada) 10 August 2010, 15:35

Message text:	Toronto, Aug 10 -- Passenger (cruise) River Rouge was refloated at about 1800, Aug 5. The vessel did not sustain any damage and is expected to return to service shortly. -- Lloyd's Agents. (Note -- River Rouge ran aground on a sandbar in the Red River, just north of Winnipeg, on Jul 29.)

Great Lakes, 29 Jul 2010

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