06/08/2014 10:28
300 rescued when Tahoe paddle-wheeler hits sandbar
Authorities are investigating why a paddle-wheel boat ran aground in Lake Tahoe, prompting rescuers to evacuate about 300 people aboard, The Associated Press reported.
Coast Guard officials said no injuries were reported when the Tahoe Queen got stuck on a shoal in the Tahoe Keys area on Monday afternoon, on the California side of the lake. Rescuers were called a little after 3:30 p.m. and took passengers and crew members to the Ski Run Marina, where the tours depart, according to Coast Guard spokeswoman Loumania Stewart.
Other agencies that helped in the evacuation included the South Lake Tahoe police and deputies from Douglas and El Dorado counties.
It wasn't immediately clear why the watercraft hit the sandbar, but Lake Tahoe has been tapped by the ongoing drought.