Seattle Aquarium evacuated after rogue barge breaks free from terminal and heads towards waterfront before smashing into the side of Pier 66
- A rogue ship crashed into Seattle’s Pier 66 due to high winds
- Officials confirmed that no injuries were reported
- Information about the damage caused to the ship has not been released
A rogue boat promoted an emergency evacuation at the Seattle Aquarium after the boat broke free from its assigned dock and drifted toward the water’s edge.
Images show how the ship eventually collided with the side of Terminal 18.
The runaway ship was first spotted heading toward Piers 62 and 63, near the Seattle Aquarium, prompting visitors to leave.
U.S. Coast Guard officials believe the ship broke free from the terminal where it was docked as high winds pushed it toward the water’s edge.
A rogue ship crashed into Seattle’s Pier 66 due to high winds
U.S. Coast Guard officials believe the ship broke free from the terminal where it was docked as high winds pushed it toward the water’s edge
Spokesman Kip Wadlow said the Coast Guard has been monitoring the situation and is still learning how it came loose.
Seattle Fire Department Public Information Officer David Cuerpo said, “Crews responded to reports of an unattended vessel striking Pier 66.
“Firefighters have evacuated the affected buildings for safety reasons.”
Officials confirmed there were no injuries.
The ship was seen wobbling after it crashed, with the three rescue boats soon arriving on the scene to pin it against a wharf.
The U.S. Coast Guard wrote about the incident: “USCG reported at 1:25 p.m. that a vessel was drifting from Terminal 18 toward Pier 66 in Elliot Bay.
‘Three tugboats took control of the ship. It was taken in tow and is being transported to Terminal 115. There have been no reports of injuries or pollution. Damage to Pier 66 reported.”
X user (formerly Twitter) Jackson Teal posted a video in which a water taxi from Seattle could be seen who tried to push the ship aside before a tugboat argued.
Three tugboats were deployed to return the boat to the correct terminal
But due to its enormous size, the ship overwhelmed the first tugboat on site, but with the help of a second, they were able to dock the ship safely.
It later turned out that the ship had been taken away by tugboats.
Wind speed in Seattle is measured at 17 knots today and is expected to decrease throughout the day.