The Infamous Carnival Triumph Cruise Ship Broke Loose From Port In Alabama
The ship, which was undergoing repairs in a Mobile, Alabama shipyard, drifted across the 700-foot wide Mobile River, crashing into its western bank and hitting another ship docked there, according to a local NBC station.
The Triumph has sustained damage, including a large hole in the right side of its stern, visible in the above photo.
A Carnival spokesperson said all crew members and contractors working aboard the Triumph, about 800 people in total, have been accounted for.
The ship, knocked loose by 70 mph wind gusts, has been moved back to the eastern bank of the river by tug boats.
According to a Mobile Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson, a guard shack nearby the Triumph was knocked into the water with two people inside. One was recovered and taken to a local hospital.
The search for the second person was suspended Wednesday night at 9 p.m., after 15 hours. Coast Guard boat and helicopter crews, and the Mobile fire and police departments "saturated a search area covering three square miles" near the mouth of the Mobile River, and the investigation continues, a Coast Guard spokesperson said.
After the 14-story Triumph was left adrift in February, it took five days to tow the enormous vessel back to port. Passengers were stuck onboard without power and very few working toilets.
Repairs included updates to the vessel's fire-fighting and power systems. The Triumph was scheduled to return to service on June 3.
Here's where the Triumph ended up, on the western bank of the river:
And here's what the Triumph's engine room looked like after the February fire:
