55°

"I woke up, and that's when everything broke loose," said Herbert, of Sitka. "It looked like we had hit a rock."

The impact ripped a 30-foot-long gash in the ferry's side, divers discovered Monday night. The gash is about a foot across, ferry administrators said.

The ferry stayed there through press time near midnight, listing 10 degrees, its bow holds half-filled with water. Alaska Marine Highway System officials said each high tide threatened to move the ship off the reef and possibly sink it. Administrators said the LeConte is valued at $30 million-$35 million.

All 109 aboard escaped without life-threatening injuries, officials said. Some passengers were shaken by the collision and by a rocky unloading in lifeboats. Three were flown to hospitals.

Herbert and other passengers evacuated to Sitka by boat described a chaotic search for family members and preparation for abandoning ship.

Wanda Hess, returning home to California from an Angoon funeral, said the waves caused by the impact were huge, despite calm weather.

"We opened up all those curtains in the TV room and those waves - I've never seen waves like that," she said.

David James, of Anchorage, reclined in one of the ferry's seats when the jolt forced the seat into a vertical position.

"There was a little bit of a panic," he said. "Everybody was just worried about getting off the boat, and it seemed like it was a slow reaction (among crew members). They did a head count at least a half-dozen times."

Harvey Williamson captained the LeConte on Monday. Officials provided no further details about him or his service record.

First responders to the scene - including three Coast Guard helicopters, a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration ship, a private barge and several volunteer vessels - thought only two underwater holds on the boat had been damaged in the accident, said Wilson of the Department of Transportation.

But by Monday evening they realized five holds had been compromised and were half-full of sea water, Wilson said.

Crew members organized the boat's 86 passengers to prepare to load the ferry's three lifeboats. Eight of the ferry's 23 crew members left the ship with the passengers, while 15 remained on board to help in the rescue effort.

Three passengers were medevaced to the SEARHC Mount Edgecumbe Hospital and the Sitka Community Hospital. Hospital authorities reported all three to be in stable condition.

Margeruite Mann, a passenger on the ferry, said officials flew her aunt away for treatment after she hurt her back as one of the lifeboats was lowered off the ship. According to some passengers, the boat slammed into the side of the ferry on its way down.

"It wasn't too bad until we got off the boat and into the lifeboat," said Cynthia Oyer of Sitka. "When they were lowering us down and we hit the boat, that was scary."

By 6 p.m. Monday, all passengers, including crew members, had left the ferry. Some passengers boarded good Samaritan boats, which took them to Sitka or Angoon. Allen Marine sent two catamarans from Sitka to bring back passengers.

Employees of the Alaska Marine Highway System, the U.S. Coast Guard and private salvage businesses began their attempt to stabilize and repair the boat as soon as the passengers were safe, Wilson said. Coast Guard officials reported that a commercial tug was trying to keep the LeConte from floating off the reef and sinking.

With only two damaged holds, as officials originally believed was the case, the ferry would still be able to float when the high tide lifted it off the reef. But it cannot float with five holds leaking, Wilson said.

The rescue team first stabilized the boat by allowing the damaged holds to fill with water, Wilson said. This grounded the ship in the reef so it would not float away with the high tide. Ten boats stayed at the scene into the night.

Divers emerged from the water Monday night shaking their heads in disbelief after discovering the 30-foot gash, Wilson said.

In what she said would be a multi-day effort - "more than one day, less than 100" - crews hope to drain the holds after sealing the holes well enough to tow the ferry to Sitka.

"If it's not done right, this is a very delicate situation," Wilson said.

The size of the hole will make on-the-scene repairs difficult and expensive, she said. Salvage experts were due to arrive from Seattle today.

With the ferry tilting 10 degrees, rough seas during a high tide could cause the boat to tip completely to its side.

George Capacci, who retired this spring as general manager of the marine highway system, said he couldn't recall many ferry groundings. About a year ago, the Kennicott required quick dry-dock repairs after being grounded near Wrangell. In 1998, the Aurora sustained a 4-inch-long fracture after it brushed an underwater rock near Metlakatla.

Capacci also recalled earlier incidents involving the Columbia in 1980 and the Taku in the early 1970s.

The Empire reported another incident involving the LeConte in Peril Strait. In August 1999, the ferry reportedly came within 30 to 40 yards of a small cruise ship. Coast Guard investigators reported that they found no gross negligence in the case.