Another Ferry Runs Aground On Shoal Making Hatteras/Ocracoke Passing
Another ferry runs aground in the Pamlico Sound while making the Ocracoke Island to Hatteras Island trip. The M/V Roanoke ran aground on Saturday Jan. 30, 2016 that morning about 10:40 am. It happened near the #3 marker along the navigation route the ferry takes between the two islands. There were only 5 passengers along with 6 crew members on the ferry at the time. No one was injured it has been reported.
The Coast Guard was contacted after several attempts by the ferry crew to free the ferry from the shoal it was stuck on. Passengers were removed onto a Coast Guard vessel and taken to the Hatteras Island ferry terminal. At high tide much later that day (about 12 hours later) the Roanoke was freed from the shoal along with the help of a tug boat. The ferry continued its journey to Hatteras Island where the passenger vehicles were unloaded. Sunday morning all passengers had returned to get their vehicles. This is the second time in the past few months that an Outer Banks ferry making the Hatteras to Ocracoke journey has become stuck on a shoal.
