Tahoe Queen runs aground with 257 on board
Passengers get off a rescue boat at Ski Run Marina after the Tahoe Queen ran aground Aug. 4. Photos/Kathryn Reed
By Kathryn Reed
About 300 people had to be shuttled from the Tahoe Queen to shore in rescue boats on Monday afternoon.
The paddle-wheeler was about 30 minutes into its 90-minute voyage Aug. 4 when it hit a sandbar off Regan Beach in South Lake Tahoe. Fire officials estimated it to be about 600 yards from shore.
No injuries have been reported. There were 257 passengers on board and then the crew.
“It’s premature to speculate how this happened,” Dave Freirich, spokesman for Aramark, told Lake Tahoe News. Aramark runs the Tahoe Queen out of Ski Run Marina in South Lake Tahoe.
A passenger told Lake Tahoe News that the captain said he should have been about 8 feet farther out to miss the sand. Lake Tahoe’s water level is dropping every day as year-three of the drought continues.
Two boats tried to dislodge the Queen, but to no avail. One was the Paradise. It was able to take about 70 people back to the marina, but never went out again.
The Tahoe Queen is about 600 yards from Regan Beach.
Most people were ferried to shore by either El Dorado County sheriff’s, South Lake Tahoe police or fire, U.S. Coast Guard, Vessel Assist or Tahoe Douglas fire boats. Many of them are small and can only take a half dozen people at a time.
However, police and fire officials were not notified about the grounding until people from the boat started calling 911 because they had been sitting on the sandbar for a couple hours, according to Fire Chief Jeff Meston.
“We didn’t get any information,” Carolyn O’Brien told Lake Tahoe News. The Lincoln woman was on the Queen for the first time with her husband and two sons.
All they were told is they were stuck. Then the Queen staff tried to give them a $17 bill for sodas. They refused to pay it. No food or beverages were offered to passengers.
“We were on board for 3½ hours before anything really happened,” Fred O’Callaghan said in terms of rescue boats arriving. The Cambridge, England, resident was on board with his wife and two kids.
The couple said most people on board were well behaved and that only a few seemed to be panicky.
One woman getting off at Ski Run screamed as she had to get out of the small boat. But a South Tahoe firefighter wrapped his arms around her to make sure she was safe and didn’t fall into the water.
It had been a rough ride. The temperature was dropping, the wind blowing at about 15 mph, sprinkles falling and the white caps bouncing boats along.
Freirich, with the boat company, said the Queen would be staying the night off shore.
“I can’t say for certain someone will be staying with the boat, but it will be monitored. It’s grounded pretty good,” Freirich said.
He didn’t know if the boat will be inspected in the lake, towed to Ski Run once it’s dislodged or if damages would be assessed at the marina.
The wreck of the Tahoeconcordia! Bwahahahaha! Somebody be looking for a bus driver job.
I love South Lake Tahoe, even if I now live a bit down the hill from y’all. But the neglect, the incompetence and the greed of the folks running the place and attempting to profit from it is gradually making itself known (I won’t even bother to draw parallels with the politics of our Country).
I know that NTSB, the same folks who investigate airplane crashes, has jurisdiction in these sorts of cases. Unless, of course, the people involved are already experts in slipping through the “government regulation” cracks.
The “powers that be” will do everything in their “powers” to make this out to be no big deal. But it is a big deal, and had the potential to be a huge, disastrous deal.
My opinion: the more you cut hiring budgets, the more incompetence you hire. The dirty little secret of public employment is that no one will admit that they’ve had to hire folks who would have been well below their standards a few years ago. I understand that SLTPD, not that long ago, did a hiring test and no one (that’s zero) met their standards. Good for them to recognize that. How many other South Lake Tahoe employers have maintained their hiring standards?
copper I do believe the US Coast gGard 11th District in Alameda has jurisdiction of cases like this as they are the regulating authority and licensing authority of both the boat and the captain. I could be wrong but i am pretty sure that the maritine courts also have jurisdiction. those fines get really pricey.
Grounded indefinitely, and they don’t even offer comp. drinks or food. Oh that doesn’t support a tacky image of SLT, does it?? I almost put my family on that cruise two nights before. So glad my wife preferred Scuza’s instead. I hope the fine is pricey enough to put the current operators out of business for good. That boat really has potential, if someone with a little class would take over, hire a decent chef, etc.
Two hours to evac a tour boat in 60 degree water? A captain that doesn’t report a grounding? Man, what a recipe for disaster. Apparently no emergency plan. My observation is that it is ‘lucky’ that this little, comical disaster happened prior to a life threatening situation in which no one knows how to respond.
I think the Coast Guard should shut them down pending a full investigation.
I’ve been a local 20 years and have to say that I have never been impressed with the Queen. I’ve been on nicer commuter ferries, and had much better service. Poor decisions were made all around on this one, that’s for sure, which is surprising given that this is not the first vessel to run aground over the years.
UPDATE : I wanted to see for myself where the Queen is grounded. So I drove out to have a look. The Queen appears to be a good half mile away from shore, out from between Lakeview Commons and Reagan Beaches, and pointed west. That’s what I saw at 8:15 am.
Things happen,My God, It can happen any where, The people are safe,They did the best they could, I have been on this boat and I felt safe,Dont judge people by what you really dont know only what you hear or read, It happens and again there safe,Quit thinking so negative ,One lady said she knew everything was ok and life is taking a Gamble ,quit your moaning.no one is dead, THANK GOD.
How long before the water is too low for them to get into Emerald Bay, and they get stuck there trying ? And there are probably rocks at the entrance to the bay which could cause serious damage.
This should surprise no one. Remember a few weeks ago the couple who were screwed on their anniversary. The Tahoe Queen has gotten stuck over 8 times this year on sand near Ski Run. You can see it from Tahoe Meadows. Safety and service are not a priority for this company.
What’s really alarming is that the Coast Guard is not more closely monitoring all of the cruise boats. If there are no fines for safety violations, or mandatory route changes because of the low lake level one has to wonder what the politics are that would have the Coast Guard do nothing.
Happy none of those people aboard had a medical emergency or a nervous breakdown. I can’t imagine being stuck on a boat is enjoyable and stress free.
BTW, has anything happened to Tahoe Keys Marina or are they “connected” too.
reloman, according to Wikipedia NTSB shares jurisdiction with the Coast Guard; the protocol for their sharing is apparently spelled out in a memorandum of understanding between the two agencies. Which I’m not going to try to look up and read.
But we both learned something.
My family and I were on the boat and were very disapointed to see how things were mis-handled by the crew. I happen to be sitting on the 1st floor towards the back and I new the moment we got stuck because I could see the dirt being kicked up by the prop and also noticed that are speed had quickly been reduced. It was until 20 minutes later that they finaly anounced it and made it official. Because we were in shallow water I was not to worried about drowning, I was just concerned about the crowd breaking into a pandomoneum and stampede since I had children and an infant with me. As the situation unfolded, I became more concerned about a huge panick and everyone rushing for the doors. There was no person taking charge or leadership within the crew. Just kept serving drinks like nothing was happening. The lack of an emergency plan and maintining order was a a huge saftey concern. It is always important as tourist that we ask these questions before we plan tours like this. The real danger was the lack of organization and order, it could have broken into madness quickly. Very disapointed…
Kathryn- I have a bunch of photos from the inside of the boat let me know so I can email them to you..
Missed by 8 feet? I am on the lake everyday and stay away from areas I know are dangerous due to the water level, especially the area around Reagans all the way to the Keys. Even though it looks like a sand bar I have see many large rocks in that area large enough to rip a whole in a boat. With almost 300 people on board why cut it so close?
Copper, i stand partially corrected. But since the board can only make recommendations, it has no stick. The Coast Guard definetly has a mighty BIG STICK.
arm chair experts sometimes have too much time on their hands to lynch the people before the facts come out.
As a former captain aboard the Tahoe Queen for some years , you have to understand the nature of the beast, and it’s handling and maneuvering properties.
The last thing in the world that a captain wants is to have a passenger fall overboard,
or run aground.Give a little credit to the Captain for all of the safe cruises that you do not hear about, and thousands of passengers who have seen and enjoyed this beautiful lake.They also support this town and you.I am on the lake as a captain almost every day and see so many incompetent boat operators doing so many dangerous maneuvers , it is amazing that the accident rate is not much higher.
Give the professional mariners some respect, I doubt the Cpt of the T Q slept very much last night.Allow the facts to surface, then decide what you the armchair expert
” could’ve should’ve done.
I explain to my passengers that it is sometimes like driving down the freeway,when you are the only driver who has a license and understands the rules.
Think about it. ?
Steve, due respect to you and other captains, but I just hear comments here on established facts, to the extent that you don’t assume others here being liars. Some three hours with not so much as assuring or explanatory words from the captain, and bills still issued for food and drink, over what was an already expensive trip that ended in complete failure (won’t say disaster, since no one was seriously hurt.).
Maybe you as an experienced TQ captain could shed some light here. Just what qualifications are required to captain the queen? What level of formal training and licensing? What are the contingency plans and preplanned protocols for such an event? What were the captain and crew supposed to do and how does that compare with eyewitness accounts here?
Being a boat captain or airline pilot is little more than a glorified bus driver’s role, 99% of the time. But it’s that other 1%, like when you have to ditch the commercial jet into a river, or deal with a sinking or grounded ship that defines the captain. What does the TQ require for that 1% situation?
“Give a little credit to the captain” for all the times he didn’t run aground, says a former TQ captain (who also happens to be a former Tahoe Keys Marina manager, go figure …). Are you freaking kidding me? Thank goodness, sir, that you’re not a current TQ captain …
It’s bad enough that the worst thing to happen last night was yet another reason for potential visitors (and many locals) to roll their eyes at this place. The plain fact is that this incident had ALL of the makings (pilot error, weather, lack of communication, nonchalant/arrogant attitude of crew) of a seriously bad ending. Those involved are very, very lucky.
reloman, you are definitely correct re the relative size of NTSB’s stick. I’m very familiar with their roll in aviation which is primarily to investigate and make safety recommendations based on their findings. The roll of FAA and the airline industry is to routinely ignore the majority of those recommendations.
The low lake levels are certainly making navigation more challenging, but I think the worst part of this story has to do with the way the captain and crew handled it — not notifying authorities immediately; poor communication with the passengers; and not offering complimentary soft drinks and snacks.
This, plus the recent story about the couple celebrating their anniversary, illustrate poor customer service from yet another corporate, non-local entity.
Doug thanks for the intelligent input.
Glorified bus driver is a bit of an insult, but you are entitled to your point of view
The TQ captain must hold a 100 ton Copts license .This license is issued by the USCG . This lic is based upon the applicants sea time aboard vessels of that specific tonnage and passing the applicable USCG tests.
What the crew did and actually didn’t do I won’t comment to as I wasn’t present.All calls to the USCG station Lake Tahoe are recorded and time stamped , so the facts will become available.I did hear the radio transmissions between the various vessels involved in the transporting of the TQs passengers back to Ski Run Marina and must say that it was done in a professional and calm manner.My complements to the operators of all vessels involved, a great team effort.
The cruise to Emerald Bay on the TQ is usually 2 1/2 hrs long,give or take a few minutes, so any thing past that time could perhaps inconvenience a passengers future plans.Is this all about getting a free drink ??wow.
What is the price of being inconvenienced these days.Some would see this as an adventure and talk of their experience , which had a happy ending.
I am sure that Lake Tahoe Cruises will take care of those aboard the TQ with a future cruise.
The TQ is a steel version of a traditional river boat, designed to operate on rivers with ever changing depths and sandbars. Her bottom is basically flat and her paddles are located above the bottom of the hull so as to be protected from damage.
Being aground or beached where she is/was on a sand bar has probably not damaged her hull or integrity .She will be inspected internally, and externally by divers and action taken accordingly. (In my opinion )
The news story mentioned being towed somewhere ??? Why ?
Unless her propulsion system were inoperable, makes no sense.But again I don’t know the facts of the actual grounding .Perhaps the vessel had become unmanouverable.
To be continued…….
Perhaps cheap seats should be changed to cheap shots ??
Obviously you know my name because I am actually willing to use it in this mystery forum, Why the “alias”
You are correct in that I did manage the TKM for Ray for 15 years , but this was a previous “dynasty” and not connected in any way to the present ownership.
I have spoken with Many, many locals who would gladly welcome him back.
Soooooo the propellor turns, or in this case the paddle wheel turns.
The continuing saga of Lake Tahoe !
Stuff happens !! We was on the boat and I thought the staff was friendly and they also offered free beverages, it’s to bad people have to be so negative about everything, this is no different then being delayed on a flight sitting on the plane for hours or having your car break down out in the middle of nowhere !!! Also to the captain defenses he was actually off yesterday and was called in and did no different then other captains have done by going out to far from the channel … I can say we have a great story to tell and great pictures from our experience we all was refi fed and given a free boat rude for our next visit !!!
Didn’t they just bail on a group of 12 celebrating their 50 yr anniversary a few weeks back because they were making more money from a last minute private party booking?? All about the money…sad
Pablo, thank you for your firsthand account of events.
The time to pass judgment is when all the facts are before us.
That said, once everyone had a life preserver, it seems to me that free refreshments are the very least these passengers ought to have received.
One would hope good judgment would preclude providing passengers with free alcoholic beverages just prior to evacuating them.
Hey Tahoebluewire- do you REALLY want that guy to drive a bus? Stuff happens especially when water levels drop daily in the summertime- tough to keep track of….
Thank you Steve. I asked many questions, and you stepped up, as before in contributing at all. No insult intended. A colorful way to point out that 99% of a captain’s routine is highly routine, and not requiring the high level of competence that the other 1% does. An incident like this, combined with suspicions of those here and on the boat just raise the question of whether budgets were kept so low as to assign a captain with less than the 100% required. I 100% withhold judgment on that until all facts come to light. Just a legitimate question in all minds, at the moment. Results as they were, it’s small stuff in our world.
I like Tiffany’s analogies …. I wonder how some of you react when ur stuck on a chairlift?
Well seems that the TQ is back home at ski run and the hull has been inspected by a diver.and presumably has passed inspection.
Because of the huge “sail” area on the TQs superstructure turning the boat around,on departure , and docking can be quite challenging,when the wind is blowing,to put it mildly.Add in the narrow, shallow confines of the ski run channel and guess what ? You will see the TQ again “spudded” down waiting for the wind to drop,to be able to get under way.
Something of concern, to be aware of in the 10′ depth of the E bay channel! the remaining tarps that were put there to suffocate the Asian clam colony.
(What a way to die ??)
last year the MS Dixie 2 became entangled in some of the tarps that had broken loose from the bottom and created a dangerous situation. The vessel could have been totally disabled and ended up on the rocky shoreline.ie Exxon Dixie.?
Fortunately a happy ending.
As I understand the scheme of things the money dried up or was not available to complete the ongoing science project in E bay so the tarps have been left on the bottom in the channel out of sight and out of mind of most boaters.
This unnatural hazard to safe navigation of the channel is just another accident waiting to happen and alter the lives of some innocent and unaware boaters.
Perhaps by bringing this to light a bit of an incentive could be established to remove the tarps.??? Public opinion ? Facts? Knowledge .
Enjoy safe boating Cpt Kiwi.