OKLAHOMA CITY -
A failed dam was blamed for grounding two-thirds of the
popular Oklahoma River Cruise's fleet Saturday.
Operators said it was a
frustrating situation to be in again, following a similar event in September.
Within two hours of the dam failing, the middle basin of the Oklahoma River was
virtually dry and two boats sat next to their dock. Instead of floating, they
were slowing sinking into the muddy riverbed.
"It's a little frustrating for an operator to not have his
fleet," explained River Transit Manager Jeanne Smith. "We are concerned about
the boats sitting in the mud."
The
boats, each worth $1 million, could have damage to the propellers, rudders and
hull. Smith said the longer they stay in the mud, the more of a chance there is
for damage.
One of
those boats, the Pioneer, was recently repaired after it got stuck in the mud
last time.
"It
actually caused one of the drive shafts to bend. Of course that boat had been
sitting in the mud for a considerable amount of time," said Smith.
The
boat was stuck in the mud for about four weeks, she explained. Replacing the
drive shaft is not cheap. In fact, any damage to the boats comes with a cost
and on top of that they were losing money with only one of the three boats
running cruises on the river. Smith said it was a blessing that the third boat
was still operational down the river.
The
most frustrating aspect of the whole ordeal may be that they will not know the
extent of the damage until they can get the boats afloat again.
"Now it's just a matter of waiting until the repair at the may dam is
completed, which should be sometime the middle to late next week," explained
Smith. "At which time they'll release some water from the may basin to at least
give us enough water to refloat these boats."
The boats, each worth $1 million, could have damage to the propellers, rudders and hull.
