A boat with 84 people on board celebrating a wedding struck rocks near a harbor entry on Lake Superior Saturday night, and the groom's grandmother had to be evacuated by the U.S. coast Guard, officials said.
The St. Louis County Rescue Squad said in a statement that the Vista Star declared an emergency after striking the breakwater at the Superior Entry amid 5-foot swells Saturday evening. The rescue squad responded to the scene along with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Duluth Fire Department.
The groom's grandmother was the only one removed from the boat after sustaining a non-life-threatening head injury. She was transferred to the Coast Guard and then transported by ambulance to Aspirus St. Luke's for treatment. Other people on board sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
The groom's mother, Kristine Buckman, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the group set out at 7:30 p.m. for a wedding on board followed by dinner and dancing. It was about two hours later when they felt the ship rock from side to side. Guests on the bow saw that the boat was headed straight for the breakwater, a structure built to break waves and keep waters calmer near the shore.
"They started screaming," Buckman told the outlet. "There was no slowing down; he was full-boar. We didn't just bump into it, we T-boned that breakwater."
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said it was investigating the incident, but the captain was cleared of drug or alcohol impairment.
Vista Fleet owner Justin Steinbach told the Star Tribune that when the captain left the water, he encountered rough water. When the captain tried to turn the Vista Star around to return to the harbor, he became disoriented and struck the rocks.
A replacement crew met the Vista Star and took over the helm.
"Once the two captains jumped on and took control, it was much smoother and less chaotic," Buckman said. "But probably half the entire passenger list was puking either out the back or the front."
Other than a few scratches, the boat was undamaged, and the crew was able to maneuver the boat to calmer waters for an assessment before cruising back to the Minnesota Slip under its own power.
--with reporting by TMX
