Marc Fortier

7 Passengers Stranded on Ferry Elevator

Seven passengers aboard a ferry became stranded on an elevator on Wednesday afternoon.

The Steamship Authority said seven passengers got stuck on an elevator on board the Motor Vessel Martha's Vineyard around 2:15 p.m. while the vessel was still docked in Woods Hole.

One passenger called 911 and a friend of theirs who was on board the vessel but not on the elevator. The friend alerted a crew member, and the chief engineer was able to open the elevator door and get the passengers out safely before the local fire department responded.

The elevator has been taken out of service while an elevator technician looks into what caused the malfunction.

The M/V Martha's Vineyard has experienced problems on at least two previous occasions this year.

In March, the vessel lost power while en route to Woods Hole from Martha's Vineyard, stranding 78 people and 10 crew members. The ferry wound up having to be towed from the scene.

And in May, the ferry lost power while backing out of Woods Hole for a trip to Vineyard Haven due to a fuel issue with its generator. The vessel had to drop anchor until it could restart its engines and proceed back to the dock with a tug escort.

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