Legal news for Kentucky personal injury attorneys. The Belle of Louisiana crashed into a docked barge after a gust of wind.
Kentucky personal injury attorney alerts- The Belle of Louisville paddlewheel boat crashed into a barge.
Louisville, KY—The historic Belle of Louisville crashed into a docked barge while on a Saturday afternoon cruise, which left four passengers injured. The paddlewheel boat crash happened on October 17, 2009 around 1:45 p.m., near Harrods Creek, as reported by the Courier-Journal.
According to U.S. Coast Guard officials, the steamboat departed from the downtown wharf around 12:00 p.m. for a public cruise with about 280 passengers and 20 crew members. Around the mid-point of the cruise, a gust of wind caused the boat to spin in a circle and slam into a docked barge. Four passengers on board the National Historic Landmark were injured from the collision. Officials reported the damage to the Belle was primarily to the wooden paddlewheel, which left several boards cracked or broken in the wheel.
The boat apparently did not take on water, but it lost all power and had to be towed by two tugboats back to the wharf. When the Belle returned to the wharf, they were met by two ambulances with the Louisville Metro EMS as a precaution. Two of the victims declined further medical treatment, while two others were wheeled away on stretchers to be transported to a local hospital. Passengers on board of the steamboat reported the Belle staff handled the situation very professionally. The U.S. Coast Guard is expected to conduct a full investigation into the boat crash. The Harrods Creek Fire Department, Louisville Metro fire & Rescue, the Metro Police River Patrol, and the Oldham County Fire Department all responded to the steamboat crash.
The Belle was reportedly under the operation of Captain James Donahue, and pilot Steve Mattingly. Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org states the Belle of Louisiana is owned and operated by the city of Louisville, Kentucky. The steamboat was built in 1914, and will turn 100 years old in 2014. The paddlewheel boat has a total capacity of 999 passengers, but rarely transports more than 800 passengers.
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for personal injury lawyers in Kentucky.