WPRO News
An Arctic research ship with a contingent of oceanography students from the University of Rhode Island ran aground Friday morning in the Canadian Northwest Territories. There were no injuries, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.
“All passengers are safe and being well taken care of. There has been no report of environmental concern,” according to a statement from One Ocean Expeditions, the British Columbia – based company that operates the 364-foot research vessel Akademik Ioffe, which ran aground in the western Gulf of Boothia.
The URI-based Northwest Passage Project had sent a number of scientists. graduate and undergraduate students and a professional film crew on what was to have been a three-week expedition to explore the Northwest Passage.
At 10:34 P.M. Pacific Time the Akademik Ioffe was re-floated, according to a tweet from One Ocean Expeditions.
“We regret the inconvenience to our passengers and are working closely with the captain, ship owner and all relevant agencies to resolve the situation as quickly and safely as possible,” said Catherine Lawton, General Manager of One Ocean Expeditions in a statement.
“The Akademik Ioffe’s sister vessel Akademik Sergey Vavilov is within closest proximity and is proceeding to the area to provide any support and assistance required,” she said.
