UPDATE: Ferry Got Stuck in Part of East River 'Known to Be An Issue': Officials
A boat running a route on the New York City Ferry struck a submerged pylon in the East River near lower Manhattan and got stuck on Monday evening, officials said.
Two holes were poked in the vessel, which then began taking in water, about 100 feet from the Pier 11 / Wall Street ferry terminal in the financial district at about 6 p.m., according to the NYPD. None of the 114 passengers and seven crew members aboard were hurt, according to authorities, but they were marooned for more than an hour. A dog was also rescued.
Officials originally said the ferry ran aground after hitting a sandbar, however, officials later said it struck a pylon that was underwater. Passengers reported feeling the impact.
"The boat just started trembling a little bit," said Luke Miszczuk. "The captain said we were stuck in the mud because of low tide."
Marine units from the NYPD, FDNY and Coast Guard all responded to the scene, passing out life preservers to the passengers as they were transferred to other boats, which then completed the voyage to the Rockaways.
A spokeswoman for Mayor de Blasio, Melissa Grace, said ferries will operate on a normal schedule on Tuesday.
"We are glad all passengers were safely disembarked and regret the inconvenience," Grace said.
City officials added that the vessel -- one of the older boats owned by NYC Ferry operator Hornblower, and not one of the new vessels added to the fleet as part of City Hall efforts to expand ferry service -- took on some water. Crews were expected to work throughout the night to to pump water out to get the boat dislodged.
The cause of the mishap remains under investigation. An official is expected for a briefing at 8 a.m.
