FleetPro Passenger Ship Management, managers of the 4,954 gross ton cruise vessel Saint Laurent, report that the ship made contact with a concrete approach wall bumper of the Westbound door of the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway system, at 2115 hrs on June 18. The Bahamas Flag vessel, which was on passage from Montreal to Toronto, was carrying a total of 192 passengers and 81 crew members. The passengers are mainly of French and Swiss nationality.

As a result of the incident, 19 guests and 3 crew members suffered minor injuries and were transferred to Massena Memorial Hospital for  treatment. The shipboard doctor was available at all times.

The vessel remains in safe condition in the lock which is partially drained of water. All shipboard services are fully functional for guests on-board. A ship inspection team has been appointed by owners and managers and will attend the vessel to assess the damage, which is limited to the bow area, before any attempt is made to move the Saint Laurent out of the lock and onto a berth.

At all times, the safety of passengers and crew is the absolute priority and owners and managers wish to thank the US Coast Guard and all the local agencies and emergency services who responded in such a timely and professional manner to this unfortunate incident. The Company will carry out a full investigation onto the events leading up to the collision and cooperate fully with any official investigation.