Eight days after American Cruise Line's American Jazz riverboat got stuck on a sandbar in Kentucky's Lake Barkley, the ship has not yet been freed.
In a statement, American Cruise Lines (ACL) said divers have been in the water to assess the situation. The line and the U.S. Coast Guard are working on plans to refloat the riverboat. ACL has contracted with marine-recovery company Donjon-SMIT to do the job.
Many crew members have disembarked and others have remained onboard, ACL said. The crew who remained aboard are "fully equipped with supplies and perfectly safe and comfortable aboard the ship," ACL said.
The cruise line said it arranged travel home for all guests and crew. Guests who left the ship on July 9 via tender were transported to Nashville. They stayed at the Drury Plaza Hotel Nashville near the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum before going home.
The American Jazz "remains completely safe with all onboard systems operational and poses no danger to any crew who remain on board," ACL said. "There continues to be no damage, no pollution, and no environmental concerns."
The riverboat remains out of the channel and out of the path of local boaters, ACL added.
The American Jazz's grounding and what caused the incident is under investigation.