After nine days stuck on a mudbar in Lake Barkley, the American Jazz cruise ship has been freed and is on its way to port.
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. David Baxter said efforts to unground the riverboat were successful Friday afternoon.
Lt. Baxter said the ship was inspected to make sure there was no structural damage to the hull from the ungrounding efforts.
He said a combination of factors that included rising lake levels, crew offloading fuel, and on-site mechanical means helped free the ship.
Lt. Baxter said efforts to free the ship were conducted by the ship’s owner with the Coast Guard overseeing the mission.
Lt. Baxter said he was unsure where the ship would travel after leaving Lake Barkley.
The American Jazz became grounded on July 7 in the mud outside the marked navigational channel north of the US 68 bridge on Lake Barkley. The ship, owned by American Cruise Lines, was en route from Memphis to Nashville with 120 passengers and over 40 crew members.
The passengers were taken off the boat last Friday along with some crew. About two dozen crew members remained on the ship.
It’s not immediately known if the American Jazz will continue using Lake Barkley as part of its cruise route. According to the company, the Memphis to Nashville package offered by the cruise line started earlier this year.
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