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US Coastguard investigating ferry grounding
After the Patriot” returned to its slip at Deep Point Marina in Southport, one day after running aground on Feb 5 on a shoal near the entrance to the Bald Head Island Marina at around 7 a.m., the U.S. Coast Guard was investigating the incident, trying to figure out if it was due to natural causes because of recent storms or perhaps a mistake from the crew. With it being a standard investigation, it was expected to be done within 30 days. The ferry had been stuck in an area known as the “cut”, the jettied entrance to the marina. After doing an underwater assessment, the Bald Head Island Transportation Authority found a steel cable wrapped around the ferry’s starboard propeller, which could have been the reason it got stuck, as it could have incapacitated the propeller and made the ship hard to control. Along with high winds, rough seas, and shifting shoal sand stirred up by recent storms, this may have contributed to the grounding. With the recent findings, the ferry company must submit a report to the Coastguard within five days of the accident to share their view on what happened. Once get everything they need, the U.S. Coast Guard will present a resolution into what happened and show it to the company of the transportation ferry. If there were any violations in law or regulations, some steps would need to be taken, it could result in a letter of warning or could result in a violation ticket. It could also go look into the crew or the captain’s licenses if it did find something that was wrong.
Bald Head Island ferry ran aground
The 'Patriot' ran aground en route from southport to Bald Head Island, North Carolina, on Feb 5, 2026, at 7 a.m. at the entrance to the south side of the island.. The starboard side hit unexpected shoaling. Recent storms had caused the shoals to shift dynamically, and wind may have contributed as well. Coast Guard Oak Island officials dispatched a rescue boat and helped Towboat US to disembark the 105 passengers from the vessel, transporting them to a Bald Head Island terminal. No injuries were reported. It took an hour and 45 minutes to remove everyone from the ferry. Divers looked under the ferry to make sure there were no obstructions to get it off the shoaling. During the assessment, a steel cable was found caught on the starboard propeller. The cable possibly wrapped around the propeller, which may have contributed to the vessel running aground. The refloating of the 'Patriot’ was suspended due to environmental conditions and safety of crews and equipment. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina conducting an investigation into the incident. Passenger ferry operations were resumed out of Southport at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 5. On Feb 6, the 'Patriot' was refloated and towed back to its berth. There were no reports of damage to the ferry. The US Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident. Report with photos: https://www.wect.com/2026/02/05/bald-head-island-ferry-runs-aground-with-105-passengers-aboard/?outputType=amp
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