A ferry traveling from the Puerto Rican island of Culebra island to Fajardo on Puerto Rico’s mainland went adrift on Jan. 2 for 13 hours with 59 passengers and six crew aboard.
A Coast Guard rescue crew towed the Fajardo II ferry back to the Culebra terminal Monday morning. There were no injuries or medical emergencies to any passengers or crew.
The vessel lost its hydraulic system and control of the rudder when it was about 8 miles off Culebra during the two-hour, 30-mile trip.The mechanical failures caused the ferry to travel in a wide circle for hours.
Ferries regularly run from Fajardo to both Culebra and Vieques off Puerto Rico’s east coast.