'Something bad went wrong' when Walla Walla ferry ran aground. Search for answers begins

Nathan Pilling, Kitsap Sun
Updated ·4 min read
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Assessments have begun on the state ferry Walla Walla, which ran aground as it was navigating Rich Passage Saturday afternoon.

The vessel had been sailing from Bremerton to Seattle, and roughly 600 passengers would be evacuated from the vessel that evening via Kitsap Transit passenger ferries. The Walla Walla eventually floated off the beach during a later high tide and was towed back to Bremerton. Washington State Ferries spokesperson Ian Sterling said that 175 vehicles were removed from the vessel Sunday morning.

No injuries were reported in association with the grounding, but Bainbridge Island Fire Department Chief Jared Moravec said that personnel responded to three medical emergencies onboard the vessel.

Following the grounding, crews went aboard so that fire and medical personnel would be available in case of any issues, and they transferred those patients to the Coast Guard, he said. The Coast Guard in turn took those patients to Bremerton, where they were received by fire and EMS personnel, he said, noting that they were transported in stable condition.

From the archives: Walla Walla has ran aground before on Bainbridge, way back in 1981

Walla Walla was still docked in Bremerton Monday morning. Sterling said that assessments have begun on the vessel and said that preliminary dives did not find any serious damage. All signs point toward a mechanical failure, he said. The vessel was built in 1973 and rebuilt in 2003.

“It’s safe to say it was a mechanical issue,” he said. “Something went wrong. It wasn’t the crew, it wasn’t anything like that. Something bad went wrong with that boat to make that happen.”

Passengers in lifejackets wave to those on the beach from the deck of the Washington State Ferry Walla Walla after it ran aground while transiting Rich Passage and ended up on the shore of Lynwood Center on Bainbridge Island on April 15.
Passengers in lifejackets wave to those on the beach from the deck of the Washington State Ferry Walla Walla after it ran aground while transiting Rich Passage and ended up on the shore of Lynwood Center on Bainbridge Island on April 15.

Sterling said the agency was reimbursing customers for their fares and was looking into what else it could do as well.

Though there were no injuries, a “multiple casualty incident” was declared to draw emergency responders from throughout Kitsap County to the island, said Moravec, with the Bainbridge Island Fire Department. At one point, one of the options for getting passengers off the vessel was to move them by small craft and life rafts to the shore near Lynwood Center, he said.

“That is a very quick way for us to get a large number of resources responding to be able to deal with a large number of individuals, some of whom could potentially be injured during the evacuation,” he said. “We didn’t want to take any chances.”

Passengers aboard the Washington State Ferry Walla Walla disembark and board Kitsap Transit's Commander passenger ferry after it docked against the beached ferry to transfer the stranded passengers on April 15.
Passengers aboard the Washington State Ferry Walla Walla disembark and board Kitsap Transit's Commander passenger ferry after it docked against the beached ferry to transfer the stranded passengers on April 15.

Eventually, the Kitsap Transit vessels Commander and Waterman made four roundtrips between Bremerton and the Walla Walla and moved 610 passengers and crew, the transit agency reported.

“It was definitely a team effort to ensure that we got the passengers ashore safely,” Moravec said.

Jess Torrez-Riley, of Bremerton, was aboard the vessel with a friend headed to Saturday’s OL Reign match in Seattle when the lights on the vessel went out and came back on. The lights went out and returned again before an announcement was made: “This is not a drill. We have lost power to steering and propulsion, get inside, get a seat and brace for impact,” she recalled.

The boat bumped up against the beach in Rich Passage and came to a halt at about 4:30 p.m.

The Washington State Ferry Walla Walla ran aground while transiting Rich Passage and ended up on the shore of Lynwood Center on Bainbridge Island on April 15.
The Washington State Ferry Walla Walla ran aground while transiting Rich Passage and ended up on the shore of Lynwood Center on Bainbridge Island on April 15.

Plans came and went. Some aboard were frustrated about missing events, but for the most part everyone remained calm and handled the night well, she said. Some were traveling to a formal Navy event. Others were headed to sporting events. A 4-year-old was taking in her first ferry ride.

“I’m glad everyone ended up being OK, and at the end of this, I think about how unique and special where we live is,” Torrez-Riley said. “We have some awesome modes of transportation, hopefully they keep them running well and fostering that community that they help contribute to.”

Eventually, Torrez-Riley boarded the Waterman back to Bremerton, she said, noting that around the time she stepped off the Walla Walla, the Reign scored a late game-winning goal. She arrived back to Bremerton shortly before 9:30 p.m.

Torrez-Riley noted that the Reign have another match in Seattle on Saturday. She’s still debating whether to take the ferry again.

“I think I’ll be much more aware of that turn in the passage,” she said. “It’s usually anticlimactic through there, you’re going pretty slow. I’ll be wanting to make sure that we get through that passage.”

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Walla Walla ferry grounding investigation begins