Passengers exit grounded Showboat Branson Belle after 17 hours

BRANSON, Mo. -- The Coast Guard will be at Table Rock Lake on Monday to investigate how the Showboat Branson Belle got stranded on some rocks, and whether the hull needs to be repaired before it cruises again.  Cruises on Monday are canceled; the fate of others is pending.  People with tickets for Monday, Dec. 13, should call 1-800-475-9370.

The passengers began disembarking about 9 Sunday morning; it took several hours to escort everyone off the boat.

Crews cleared trees to build a road and a ramp in order to reach the boat, which ran aground near State Park Marina.

There were 567 passengers and 76 crew members on-board the Showboat, said Rau.

Throughout the evening, according to Sgt. Dan Bracker, with the Missouri Highway Patrol, members of the Coast Guard, the Missouri Water Patrol, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Taney County rescued nine people because of medical reasons. The other passengers had to wait until the ramp and road were constructed.

The wind was so strong Saturday night it blew the Showboat Branson Belle aground during its cruise with guests on-board.

The Belle and local authorities tell KY3 there were no serious injuries and the nine people who were rescued early requested so as a medical precaution.

Management tells KY3 as the 4 p.m. cruise was heading back to port Saturday night, the Belle had problems with its propulsion system.  The boat had to sit "quiet" on the lake and wait for a tugboat.  As the showboat was waiting, the winds slowly pushed it to shore.

A passenger told KY3 over the phone on Saturday night that most of the passengers remained calm but some panicked.

The passenger also says the captain announced it was not safe to evacuate the boat where they came aground.  He said the rocky shoreline is covered in ice and it was simply too risky to have hundreds of people try to make their way ashore under the conditions.

Buses were standing by to pick up the passengers from Poverty Point on Table Rock Lake. A first responder on scene tells KY3, "it's gonna be a long night."

KY3 Meteorologist Brandon Beck says the Branson Airport had a maximum gust of 45 miles per hour on Saturday night.

Rau said, during the excursion on Saturday, the propulsion system -- the paddles that move the boat -- briefly stopped working.  That's when the boat drifted ashore. Although the system started up again, the captain decided to stay put, indicating the boat was in a safe position.

All the passengers' ticket prices will be refunded and they will receive 2011 season passes to Silver Dollar City.