May 19, 2013
It could be weeks before one of Eastern Carolina's river ferries is back in service after a mishap Sunday morning.
It happened at the state's Cherry Branch ferry terminal near Havelock. North Carolina ferry service director Jerry Gaskill says the ferry "Neuse" was entering the harbor, when the captain apparently couldn't gain control of the 420-ton vessel.
The ferry, with 29 passengers and several vehicles aboard slammed into clusters of pilings, and the a-frame ramp that loads and unloads the vessel. No one was injured.
While the ferry suffered no serious damage, the ramp is out of commission and drivers will now be forced to take as much at a 50-mile detour to get to and from Pamilco County and other destinations.
