Ferry briefly loses power in Puget Sound with 173 people aboard



MUKILTEO, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state ferry system says the ferry Tokitae, with 173 people on board, briefly lost power Wednesday evening as it approached Mukilteo.

Spokeswoman Susan Harris says the vessel drifted for a bit while the problem was assessed but then regained some propulsion and successfully docked at Mukilteo, where it unloaded passengers and cars.

Harris said the ferry was then dispatched empty to Clinton, on Whidbey Island, for further assessment.

She says the ferry didn't hit anything and no one was hurt.

The Tokitae's problem meant the Mukilteo-Clinton route was down to one ferry for the rest of Wednesday night.

However, Washington State Ferries tweeted that Tokitae would be back in service Thursday with the 5:10 a.m. sailing from Clinton and the 5:35 a.m. sailing from Mukilteo.

The 144-car ferry was completed in March 2014 and began service in June 2014.

Mukilteo is south of Everett.

The MV Tokitae is an Olympic Class passenger ferry entered service on the Mukilteo-Clinton route on June 30, 2014.