Shipping traffic on the St. Lawrence River has resumed after a luxury cruise ship stuck in the Eisenhower Lock in Massena was removed Saturday. The ship struck a wall as it attempted to maneuver into the lock Thursday night.
Passengers on the MS St. Laurent were removed from the ship in cranes Friday evening and later bussed back to Montreal.
Mike Folsom, who works at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, says the Thousands Island village was prepared to welcome the ship’s passengers Monday.
“After seeing a number of photographs from the scene the ship definitely has substantial damage to it. It would be nice to see the ship that was newly refurbished be back on the seaway again," Folsom said.
The St. Laurent was scheduled to stop in Clayton 13 times this summer. This visit would have been its third. Folsom says news of the ship’s collision has been a devastating blow to the village.
“We were expecting to get a lot of visits obviously throughout the summer months which would have been an economical boost to Clayton. So missing out on the trips won’t be overly detrimental but it is upsetting knowing what we possibly could have had,” Folsom said.
Despite damage to the ship's hull, the Saint Laurent set sail to Quebec City yesterday. The cause of the collision is still under investigation.
