Five passengers injured in Virgin Islands ferry grounding July 4th

A baby was among five passengers who sustained injuries aboard a Virgin Islands ferry that ran aground on the night of the Fourth of July. All of the 98 passengers and four crewmembers were safely evacuated from the Royal Miss Belmar after it grounded on a reef at the northeast end of Great St. James Island.

Coast Guard Sector San Juan received a distress call at 10:05 p.m. A 25-foot response boat was deployed to the scene to coordinate the safe transfer of the ferry passengers onto Good Samaritan vessels.

The injured persons were taken to emergency medical personnel in Red Hook Harbor.

The Coast Guard will coordinate the vessel’s removal and salvage, check for evidence of pollution and investigate the cause of the grounding.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard