Excursion boat on Lake Mead loses power in heavy winds

A large paddlewheel boat vessel operating on Lake Mead lost power in heavy winds Tuesday afternoon, forcing authorities to try to evacuate the more than 160 passengers aboard the drifting vessel.

The Lake Mead communication center received a radio distress call around 12:30 p.m. from the triple-decker Desert Princess reporting it had lost power near the Las Vegas Boat Harbor on the southwestern end of the lake, park service spokeswoman Christie Vanover said.

The boat drifted into other boats in slips at the Las Vegas Boat Harbor and Lake Mead Marina due to strong winds gusting over 30 mph, before crews from the harbor, National Park Service and the state Department of Wildlife responded and pushed it toward the breakwater, she said.

Crews removed about 60 of the 163 passengers onto patio boats before they were able to restart the Desert Princess and pilot it back to the dock, where the rest of the passengers safely disembarked, she said.

A Desert Princess crew member was transported to an area hospital in an ambulance with minor injuries. No other injuries were reported, Vanover said.

The National Park Service and U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the incident.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.