The Edmonton Riverboat was left waiting for assistance on Tuesday after a mechanical test went wrong. The crew was testing the riverboat’s engines when the boat became beached on a sandbar in the North Saskatchewan River. “During testing, we attempted our normal turnaround near the Accidental Beach. The increased water in the river has moved where we expected sandbars to be and the riverboat is resting on a sandbar now,” owner Eric Warnke said in a statement to media on Tuesday. He added the crew was waiting for service boats to pull the riverboat free. Transport Canada says it is aware of the incident. “[Transport Canada] will be following up with a compliance inspection. There were no passengers aboard at the time of the incident, and there are no reports of injury, damage or pollution caused by the Edmonton [Riverboat]. The department will not hesitate to take appropriate action should concerns be identified,” a spokesperson said in an email to CTV News Edmonton. “All vessels in Canadian waters must comply with the Canada Shipping Act, 2001. Under the Act, vessel owners and operators are required to report certain types of marine incidents to Transport Canada and to the Transportation Safety Board.” The Riverboat also faced challenges during a Mother’s Day cruise last month as a result of a mechanical failure. Warnke said at the time that the boat’s port paddlewheel hydraulic pump failed. Edmonton Fire Rescue Services was called to shuttle guests back to the shore, according to Warnke. The cruise was supposed to end at 4 p.m., all passengers were ultimately brought back to shore by 7 p.m.
