SPANISH FORT Ala. — Third and fifth graders of Central Christian School in Robertsdale had an unexpected adventure while on a school field trip last Thursday on board the Delta Explorer. After departing from Historic Blakeley State Park on a tour of the Delta, the boat ran aground in Mobile Bay.

The Mobile County Sheriff’s Flotilla and Daphne Search and Rescue assisted with the rescue, transporting the kids, teachers and parents safely to the Mobile Bay Causeway. Capt. Ronny Champion with Daphne Search and Rescue said the students handled it well.

“The kids were all happy — just typical kids having fun,” he said.

Blakeley State Park Director Jo Ann Flirt said this was the first time one of the park boats had ever landed on a sandbar.

“We had extremely low water, a low tide and a north wind, coming out of the Raft River area. The pilot accidentally ran aground,” she said.

Flirt said the minute it went aground the boat crew radioed back to the park. Two rescue groups responded after they received a call from officials at Blakeley Park. Lt. Richard Clayton said the tour boat was in Mobile County at Raft River and Spanish River.

The water was choppy and a north wind was blowing, but it wasn’t real rough, Champion said, adding the water temperature was approximately 70 degrees.

Five boats launched from the Causeway were used for the rescue. When it was determined that the whole vessel could not be pulled off the sandbar with everybody on board, small groups were then transported, Champion said.

“The kids thought it was a marvelous adventure,” Flirt said.

She said the kids sang songs to pass the time until they could be transferred to shore. Some kids told their rescuers that it was the best field trip they had ever been on, Clayton said.

It took a few hours and several trips to bring the 43 students and eight adults to shore. Clayton said, according to his recollection, he had never heard of a tour boat getting stuck before. After the passengers of the tour boat were ferried to shore at a public launch, the Delta Explorer was pulled off of the sandbar, Clayton said.

Blakeley Park has operated the Delta Explorer for four years. More than 100 Delta tours have been held this year and several hundred in the preceding years, Flirt said. Flirt said that steps are being taken to prevent this from happening again.

All crew mates on the boat are experienced rangers, she said. The captain who was in charge of the boat at the time was a licensed coast guard captain and experienced in large commercial vessels, but not that experienced in operating the park’s boat, she said. She said, in the future, they will ensure that the rotating captains are not only properly licensed, but they are also experienced on the park’s boat.

The Delta Explorer is a shallow boat which travels in shallow water, so that the passengers can see wildlife, she said. The boat is well equipped with a marine radio, a park radio and cell phones. According to Flirt, the boat meets Coast Guard requirements and had its routine annual inspection within the last 30 days.

“We knew the children were fine and we were in constant contact with the boat,” Flirt said.

With the adventure over, but a great story to tell, the kids ate lunch on the bus on their way back to school. Central Christian Principal Tim Shelton said, “I don’t think anything was mishandled.”

Even though their field trip was altered, the kids thought it was exciting and none of the kids had been afraid, he said. Shelton said he would not rule out doing the tour again.