CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – An investigation is underway after a large container ship lost the ability to control its engines in Charleston Harbor, prompting a temporary closure of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Command Center in Charleston, South Carolina, received a report from the harbor’s pilot dispatch around 12:17 p.m. of an out-of-control vessel in the Cooper River.
Deputy Commander Randy Preston said the vessel was identified as the MSC Michigan 7, a 997-foot, 74,000-ton container ship outbound from the North Charleston container terminal headed to Savannah, Georgia.
“The pilot on board indicated the vessel lost ability to control the engines and they were stuck nearly full-ahead with the vessel making between 14 to 17 knots,” said Preston. Throttles were near-full forward and could not be moved out of that position.
Coast Guard boats and other agency partner assets were alerted and cleared vessel traffic from the ship channel. Charleston and Mount Pleasant police departments closed the Ravenel Bridge and began evacuating pedestrians before the ship passed underneath.
Lisa Riente was riding her bike over the Ravenel Bridge when officers told her to leave her bike behind and get into the back of their patrol 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. 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,” she recalled.
Coast Guard officials said nearby Fort Moultrie beach was also evacuated in case the ship had to ground intentionally.
The scary incident comes about two months after an out-of-control cargo ship smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26 after losing power, bringing the span down and killing six construction workers.
Engineers said the Ravenel Bridge was designed differently and could withstand a similar blow. Still, they decided to shut down the bridge once it was clear that the ship was out of control.
Ultimately, Charleston Police Chief Chito Walker said the Ravenel Bridge did not suffer any damage.
There were some reports of minor damage along the vessel’s route due to the wake it created as it passed. Two recreational boaters were pushed onto rocks near the tip of Daniel Island, which resulted in them suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
Personnel on the container ship got control of its engines and slowed it down. The vessel cleared the harbor without major incident and has been ordered to anchor until further notice.
A Coast Guard team of vessel examiners and investigators are responding to the ship.
“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,” said Deputy Commander Randy Preston.
The incident remains under investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
