Update: Grounded Casino Ship Frees Itself

A grounded casino ship was able to free itself on Thursday without help from towboats and returned to its home dock, after spending a day and a half stranded during its first passenger cruise out of Savannah.

Read: Casino Ship Runs Aground on Maiden Voyage

The Escapade made its escape at high tide. Less than two hours later, after passing a Coast Guard inspection for leaks, the ship arrived at its dock in Savannah, Georgia.

The ship was able to dislodge itself without assistance, probably because it was no longer weighted down with passengers. The Coast Guard rescued the 118 passengers and crew from the stranded vessel on Wednesday afternoon. A USCG spokesman noted that without passengers, the ship was likely sitting much higher in the water, and able to get underway under their own power.

Prior to their rescue, passengers were stuck on the ship overnight and most of the next day. They returned to shore aboard Coast Guard cutters about 16 hours after they were first stranded.

Towboats had been unable to pull the casino ship free, prompting the evacuation of most of the people using rescue boats and a helicopter. Seven crewmembers remained aboard the Escapade to get it moving again.

The casino ship operator, Tradewinds Cruise Lines, made a brief statement noting that all passengers had returned to shore without illness or injury, and pledged their full cooperation with the Coast Guard, which the company thanked for its assistance. The company stated: "Please know that our first concern has been for the safety of our passengers and crew."

The Escapade’s crew initially reported a malfunction in the ship's course plotter, a part of its navigation system. However, an official cause of the grounding has not yet been confirmed.