The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:
OCRACOKE, N.C. — The Coast Guard responded to a boat collision in the ferry channel in Ocracoke, Saturday night.
Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a radio call from a crewmember aboard the ferry Carteret, which travels from Cedar Island to Ocracoke, at 8:30 p.m. stating that there had been a collision between the ferry and a 35-foot motor yacht.
The ferry had eight passengers, one car and the crew aboard. The yacht, Tony C, had two crewmembers and two dogs aboard.
A 25-foot Response Boat – Small crew from Coast Guard Station Ocracoke responded and transferred two crewmembers and the dogs to Station Ocracoke to awaiting Coast Guard emergency medical technicians. The two individuals were cleared with no severe injuries.
No one aboard the Carteret was injured. Coast Guard personnel inspected the ferry and found no major damage. The Carteret was brought back to Ocracoke.
The yacht was damaged and has a hole from slightly above the waterline to the deck.
A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Hatters Inlet was deployed to tow the yacht to shallow water.
The cause of the collision is under Coast Guard investigation.
