VideoRay Releases Amazing under-hull Video and Still Images of Empress of the North Ship Grounding

Robotic Underwater Camera Yields Critical Information for Re-Floating Plan

Additional photos

Phoenixville, PA - April 11, 2006

Empress of the North Click for high res version. Just to the right of the date is a tear in the hull (dark jagged area in the middle of the white.) The Empress of the North sits on a Boulder some 10 ft below the surface of the Columbia River. More Pictures and Video

VideoRay LLC today released what is believed to be the first images taken underneath a grounded cruise ship.  When the United States Coast Guard responded to the grounding of the 360 foot passenger overnight sternwheeler Empress of the North, their high-tech VideoRay “Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)” was the perfect tool to investigate the conditions under the hull.  There was no other way the salvage team could safely discover the environment and conditions underneath the hull.

Shortly after deploying VideoRay, the USCG saw dramatic images as the robot swam under the vessel and revealed that a large boulder had actually punctured the hull. The salvage team had thought the vessel was on smooth sand; the video footage from the VideoRay ROV showed that the original flotation plan could be catastrophic. The team immediately worked out a new refloating plan, which was ultimately successful.

An official commendation to those involved from the Coast Guard by Captain Patrick G. Garrity, Commanding Officer of Sector Portland, included “The underwater video provided by the USCG team proved very helpful in planning the salvage operation.”

During the process of investigating the hull, the VideoRay was tossed about “as if we were in a washing machine on the super spin cycle” according to the USCG operating team.  This was due to the swift currents – over 4 knots at times – in the very tight space under the hull.  However, this unit was recently upgraded with GTO (Greater Thrust Option) propulsion and, along with expert operators, accomplished its mission.

Additional information from the US Coast Guard on the refloating operation.

The Empress of the North ran aground Friday, March 24 on the Columbia River, near Washougal, Washington. Aground it sat at an 8 – 10 degree list. All of the 233 passengers and most of the ship's non-essential crew were safely transferred off the vessel early Friday evening. The Empress of the North left Astoria, Oregon., March 19, for a seven-night Columbia River cruise.  It was scheduled to return to Astoria Sunday, March 26.

VideoRay now has far more Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) in service around the world than any manufacturer, and is delivering additional ROVs at an increasing rate. Weighing just 8 pounds and starting at $5995 USD, VideoRays can be equipped with sonar, positioning systems or other accessories, and are used for underwater surveys, offshore inspections, search and recovery, homeland defense, science, fish farming and a range of applications in underwater environments. In August, the General Services Administration (GSA) awarded VideoRay a contract to supply vehicles to the US government, making it easier and faster for many agencies to acquire one. See http://www.videoray.com/GSA for more information.

For further information:
Chris Gibson chris.gibson@videoray.com
Director, Sales & Marketing
VideoRay LLC
Phone: 610.458.3000 x204
www.videoray.com

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