Edmonton Queen Riverboat in need of tow Tuesday afternoon
Posted June 9, 2026 3:43 pm.
Last Updated June 9, 2026 4:21 pm.
Edmonton Riverboat’s mechanical test on the North Saskatchewan River Tuesday didn’t go exactly as planned.
While the repaired engines passed the test, mechanically speaking, the undertaking hit a snag when the riverboat became stranded on a sandbar.
“During testing, we attempted our normal turnaround near the Accidental Beach. The increased water in the river has moved where we expected sandbars to be and the riverboat is resting on a sandbar now,” owner Eric Warnke told CityNews in a statement shortly before 3 p.m.
“We are awaiting friends who will bring their service boats to pull us free so we can continue our journey.”
The Edmonton Queen riverboat faced mechanical difficulties last month during a Mother’s Day cruise, which stranded some 200 passengers.
That issue, on May 11, was due to a failure of the port hydraulic pump, leading to the port-side paddlewheel no longer responding to throttle commands.
Passengers were brought ashore about three-and-a-half hours later than originally planned. Nobody was injured.
