River cruise ship beaches in Columbia Park near blue bridge in Kennewick
In an unusual sight, a Columbia River cruise ship was beached near the blue bridge Friday night.
Crew members of the American Song cruise ship called Kennewick firefighters a little after 6:30 p.m. about a passenger with a serious medical problem, said Fire Chief Chad Michael.
The cruise ship captain nudged the five-deck ship up against the Columbia Park shoreline, just west of the bridge, Kennewick firefighters said on Facebook.
Firefighters were able to walk onboard using a gangplank through a hatch that opened at the ship’s bow.
A cruise line nurse helped the patient get to the Kennewick medics, who look the person to a Tri-Cities hospital.
Kennewick firefighters posted some images of the ship along the park.
“Your Kennewick firefighters see a lot of the same calls over and over again, but once in a while, we deal with something new,” they posted on Facebook.
The firefighters credited both the people onboard for noticing the medical emergency, and the captain for getting the ship close enough to shore to easily get the patient.
The American Song ship is part of the Columbia and Snake Rivers Cruise for USA River Cruises. The ship travels between Portland and Clarkston, stopping in Richland and offering tours in Pendleton.
This story was originally published October 25, 2021 at 5:42 PM.