15 children rescued from schooner that ran aground

MYSTIC, Conn. – Fifteen children were among the passengers rescued from a schooner that ran aground at the mouth of the Mystic River in Connecticut, the Coast Guard said Monday.

No injuries were reported when the 126-foot schooner Alabama ran aground at about 6:15 p.m. Sunday. The children, two adult chaperones and five crew members were on board at the time. A New London-based Coast Guard crew brought the passengers to a shipyard in Groton.

The Coast Guard was investigating the cause of the accident.

Petty Officer Rashad Lockhart said it can be a perilous area to navigate.

“You stay in the channel, you won’t have a problem,” he said. “You go out of the channel and there are a lot of rocks.”

The Alabama’s home port is Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, where it is operated by Black Dog Tall Ships. Built in 1926, it now offers recreational cruises.

Investigators were planning to determine the integrity of the vessel before it sails again.

“We’re hoping there’s not much damage to Alabama,” said Cheryl Dewitt, an office associate for Black Dog Tall Ships.