Coast Guard rescues crew of tall ship that ran aground

(NECN: Scot Yount: Woods Hole, Mass.) – The Coast Guard had to be called in today when a Tall ship ran into trouble off Cape Cod. The 118 foot Unicorn hit rocks. 18 people had to be rescued. Chief Petty Officer Brian Guarino/US Coast Guard: “Currents in Woods Hole pass are pretty severe, and it was sitting right there in a sweet spot near a lot of the rocks.” It is one of the most dangerous passageways on the eastern seaboard. The Coast Guard got the call today around 10:30, the 118 foot Unicorn had run aground, with two of their boats they desperately tried to pull the stricken ship free, but the current was too strong. Chief Petty Officer Brian Guarino/US Coast Guard: “We weren’t sure how much control they were going to have didn’t know if they were taking on water-you have to assume the worst.” The ship was listing badly and had 16 people on board. The Coast Guard moved in to rescue the passengers and crew before it could come loose in the fierce currents. Chief Petty Officer Brian Guarino/US Coast Guard: “There was some danger. We’ve seen cases like this in the past-vessels get caught in there they can break loose and keep on traveling.” Rescuers delivered the frightened crew, many of them young girls—to the Coast Guard Station. The Unicorn is a vessel of note, it is the only tall ship in the world to be crewed entirely by women. Its hull was built in 1947 with metal taken from scrapped world war two German U-Boats. A commercial tug eventually pulled the vintage sailing craft off the rocks, and towed the vessel to Vineyard Haven. Chief Petty Officer Brian Guarino/US Coast Guard: “Woods Hole pass can be a tricky area she’s very well marked and very well buoyed still it can be a very tricky area.”