Scary': Major Bridge Shut Down Due to 'Runaway' Cargo Ship
Charleston, South Carolina's Arthur Ravenel Bridge faced a tense situation on Wednesday due to an out-of-control ship, reminiscent of the incident two months prior when the container ship Dali lost power and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, resulting in six construction worker fatalities and significant bridge damage.
While the event on the Cooper River was less catastrophic, it was equally alarming at first. According to WCSC-TV, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a warning about a container ship departing the harbor that had lost engine control.
Shortly after noon on Wednesday, the Harbor Pilots Dispatch notified the Coast Guard that the pilot on the MSC Michigan reported the ship was moving at "nearly full throttle" with the engine controls stuck in that position.
The vessel was traveling at speeds of 14 to 17 knots, heading from North Charleston to Savannah, Georgia, as reported by the outlet.
“Our sector command center folks immediately started coordinating with our local partners to include launching our own vessels to clear vessel traffic out of the way of the container ship and also coordination with the local police departments to ensure traffic on the Ravenel Bridge was stopped ensuring that the public was safe,” Coast Guard Sector Charleston Deputy Cmdr. Randy Preston told WCSC.
Coast Guard and other agency vessels rushed ahead of the Michigan to clear a safe path, while police halted traffic on the Ravenel Bridge to prevent any potential collisions.
The outlet noted that “Fort Moultrie Beach was also evacuated in case the ship needed to ground.”
Iris Duke, captain of the Charleston Water Taxi, recounted the experience: “We were doing a normal run from Waterfront Park to Charleston Maritime Center Aquarium Wharf, and we just heard chatter on the radio.”
“We turned it up because we heard ‘Mayday’ and then we heard ‘Runaway ship,’ so we kind of cruised out there,” she added.
The wake from the speeding Michigan caused two recreational boaters' vessel to crash into the rocks, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries. According to WCSC, they were rescued and taken to a local hospital.
Cyclist Lisa Riente shared her experience with WCBD-TV, stating that police stopped her as she was crossing the bridge, instructed her to leave her bike, and get into their car.
“I threw my bike down, grabbed my phone, and jumped in the back of the police car with a couple of other pedestrians and it was kind of scary,” Riente said. “We were going across the bridge trying to get other pedestrians and warn them that there was an out-of-control boat headed towards the bridge.”
WCBD described the Michigan as a 997-foot, 74,000-ton ship.
Charleston Police Chief Chito Walker confirmed to the outlet that the Ravenel Bridge sustained no damage from the incident.
The ship’s crew eventually managed to fix the engine control problem, allowing the vessel to clear the harbor and anchor approximately 8.5 nautical miles offshore.
“Anytime a vessel can’t control its propulsion it’s concerning. But thanks to our partners, our maritime partners, our local law enforcement partners, it turned out well and that’s due to our intense partnership and coordination,” Preston said.
According to several outlets, the Coast Guard is continuing its investigation into the incident.