The Coast Guard is responding to a reported fire aboard the on the 178-foot passenger vessel Wilderness Discoverer in Glacier Bay, National Park, Alaska.
The fire has been extinguished and all 51 passengers along with 16 crewmembers were safely disembarked aboard the cruise ship Sapphire Princess.
Coast Guard watchstanders in Juneau received the initial call from the crew aboard the Wilderness Discoverer at 7:30 a.m. stating that there was a fire aboard the vessel, and they needed assistance.
Coast Guard cutters Pike and Anthony Petit along with an Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew and resources from the National Park Service are in transit to assist the vessel.
"Our primary concern is ensuring the safety of the passengers and the crew," said L.t. j.g. Maximilian Carfagno, the command duty officer at the Sector Juneau command center. “The quick launch of our assets and the teamwork among the Sapphire Princess helped in the timeliness of this rescue.”
Eleven crewmembers remain aboard the Wilderness Discoverer and are scheduled to rendezvous with the tug boat Taku Wind, who will tow the vessel to Ketchikan.
There is no report of injuries or pollution and no impact to vessel traffic.
The current on-scene conditions include 5-mile visibility, winds at 15 mph and 3-foot seas.
-USCG-