Boat Rescue (Engine room fire) on Sapphire Princess on 5 June 2023

On 5 June 2023, the small-ship cruise vessel Wilderness Discoverer, operated by UnCruise Adventures, suffered an engine room fire while navigating Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska and lost power and propulsion. The nearby Sapphire Princess, a Princess Cruises vessel, was requested by the U.S. Coast Guard to assist. All 51 passengers and 17 crew members were safely evacuated from the Wilderness Discoverer and transferred to the Sapphire Princess; 10 crew members remained aboard the disabled vessel.

The evacuated passengers were subsequently transferred to the cruise yacht Baranof Wind, which transported them to Bartlett Cove Seaplane Base by mid-afternoon. The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the response and cleared the Sapphire Princess for departure at approximately 3:15 p.m. local time.

At 7:30 a.m. Alaska time on June 5, the Wilderness Discoverer contacted U.S. Coast Guard Sector Juneau after the engine room fire disabled the vessel. The Sapphire Princess, operating nearby, responded immediately and assisted in the orderly disembarkation of all passengers and 17 crew members via lifeboat. With the Wilderness Discoverer without power, communications, or propulsion, the Sapphire Princess relayed the emergency to the U.S. Coast Guard. All evacuated persons were then transferred from the Sapphire Princess to the Baranof Wind, which completed transport to Bartlett Cove Seaplane Base at approximately 3:15 p.m., where passengers disembarked safely.

Wilderness Discoverer

• 51 passengers evacuated
• 27 crew onboard; 17 evacuated, 10 remained aboard

Sapphire Princess

• Assisted in rescue operations; no passengers or crew from Sapphire Princess were affected

Fatalities

• None reported.

Injuries

• None reported.

Rescued

• All 51 passengers and 17 crew members from the Wilderness Discoverer were safely evacuated and transported to Bartlett Cove Seaplane Base.

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Juneau coordinated the response after being contacted by the Wilderness Discoverer at 7:30 a.m. The nearby Sapphire Princess responded immediately to assist with passenger and crew evacuation. The Baranof Wind, a cruise yacht, was deployed to transport the evacuated persons from the Sapphire Princess to Bartlett Cove Seaplane Base, where they were safely disembarked. The U.S. Coast Guard cleared the Sapphire Princess for departure at approximately 3:15 p.m. local time.

All evacuated passengers and crew from the Wilderness Discoverer were safely transported ashore. The Wilderness Discoverer remained disabled in Glacier Bay with 10 crew members aboard pending salvage and investigation. The Sapphire Princess continued its scheduled voyage after assisting with the rescue operation.