Dozens of passengers and crew were rescued after a cruise ship caught fire in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park on Monday.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it received a call from the cruise ship Wilderness Discoverer around 7:30 a.m.
Coast Guard boats and aircrews responded quickly, along with National Park Service resources.
“All 51 passengers and 16 crew members have safely disembarked from the cruise ship Sapphire Princess,” officials said in a statement.
“Our primary concern is ensuring the safety of our passengers and crew,” said Lieutenant Maximilian Carfagno, commander of the Sector Juneau Command Center.
“The rapid launch of our assets and the teamwork among Sapphire Princess helped in the timely execution of this rescue.”
Officials said the 11 crew members will remain on the Wilderness Discoverer and join the tug Tak Wind, which will tow the ship to Ketchikan.
Uncruise Adventures, which owns the Wilderness Discoverer, said the fire was contained in the engine room of the 76-passenger vessel, but the cause remains unknown.
“We are relieved to confirm that no one was injured in the fire. Our highly trained crew quickly extinguished the fire according to established emergency procedures and successfully introduced CO2 for everyone’s safety. said Captain Dan Blanchard, owner and CEO of Uncruise Adventures.
“Guests will be … taken to park headquarters and their return flights will be arranged. Liz Galloway, director of marketing for Uncruise Adventures, told Fox Weather.
“All guests will be fully refunded.”
