Report: Fungus in fuel storage caused ferry to run aground near Bainbridge Island

Passengers shaken up after Walla Walla ferry runs aground

Washington State Ferries is investigating what led up to a ferry running aground in Bainbridge Island on Saturday.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. - Bacterial and fungal growth in a ferry's diesel storage tanks caused it to run aground earlier this year, according to a finalized report from Washington State Ferries (WSF).

The trip from Bremerton to Seattle usually takes about an hour, but on April 15, that ride became a multi-hour ordeal when the Walla Walla ferry ran aground, stranding roughly 600 passengers on board. 

According to the WSF report, "The Walla Walla’s loss of propulsion was a result of water contamination in the two-day tanks that provide the oil/water interface. This water contamination resulted in gross bacterial and fungal growth to the extent that the fuel filtration system was overcome, and the ship's service diesel and vital generator engines could not function,." 

No one was injured in the incident. A person had a medical emergency unrelated to the grounding.

The report also found that none of the ship's crew members were at fault. 

You can read the full 19-page report here. 

WSF's website lists the Walla Walla as a four-engine, jumbo-class ferry with a maximum capacity of 2,000 passengers and 188 vehicles. It is 440 feet (134 meters) in length with a draft of 18 feet (5.4 meters).

The Walla Walla was constructed in 1973 in Seattle and rebuilt in 2003, according to the site.