The captain of a commuter ferry that crashed into a New York City dock says the vessel suffered a mechanical failure as Seastreak vows to regain the trust of its customers.

Ferry accident at Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan
Ferry accident at Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan (WNBC TV)
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The National Transportation Safety Board says they interviewed the 36-year-old captain of the Seastreak Wall Street for three hours Thursday. He says the ferry wouldn't go into reverse when he tried to dock it. He also told investigators the engines seemed to have failed.

 

Investigators will determine whether the condition of the ferry backs up the captain's explanation.

The NTSB says the crew was also interviewed Thursday. More crew will be interviewed today by the NTSB as they visit Seastreak's facility in Highlands reports the New York Post. They will want to know if crew members were aware of problems with the boat after an overhaul.

Regaining Trust

Injured passengers are aided following an early morning ferry accident
Injured passengers are aided following a ferry accident at Pier 11. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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Seastreak President James Barker, in a message posted on the company's website, vows to work hard at regaining the trust of its passengers. "We are going to work hard to regain your trust and we are going to do everything possible to make sure that this never happens again," wrote Barker.

He pledged to co-operate with the NTSB's investigation of the incident and asked anyone involved in the crash to contact Seastreak.

He also thanked emergency reponse for their quick arrival to the accident on Wednesday in which more than 70 people were injured when the ferry made a hard landing into the dock.

The New York Post reports the more severely injured passenger, John Urbanowicz of Red Bank, is on a ventilator. “A ventilator’s on him. From what had happened until now, he hasn’t been awake. He’s been knocked out and he’s still knocked out,” said Donald Urbanowicz of his son, who’s at New York Hospital with a head injury. “They did a couple of surgeries on him.”

 


(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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