Sand Bar Steals the Scene as Ferry Runs Aground

A sand bar in New York Harbor rewrote the script for Billy Dee Williams’ new movie Saturday, bringing a nautical chase scene to a sudden stop and stranding 80 people, including the star, in freezing temperatures.

“They got too close to the mud, and now they’re waiting for the tide to come in,” said Louis Llanes, a New York police officer, after the ferry ran aground off the Red Hook section of Brooklyn about 10:30 a.m. It sat there until high tide began rolling in shortly before 3 p.m. and lifted the vessel from the bottom.

The movie’s co-producer, Michael Shapiro, said Williams and co-stars Michael Wilding Jr. and Vanity were aboard the ferry filming a chase and shoot-out scene for their upcoming movie, “Love You to Death.”

Williams, who plays a detective investigating a drug-and-murder ring, was supposed to rescue girlfriend Vanity after jumping aboard a Manhattan-bound ferry from a boat headed to Staten Island.

But the ferry apparently was blown off course by the wind, said Deborah Niewald, who handles publicity for the film. In addition to the film stars, the movie’s director, camera crews and several dozen extras were stranded on the ferry, she said.

Shapiro said 22 boats were sent into the harbor in a vain attempt to free the ferry. The cost of a lost day of shooting was estimated at $160,000, including $28,000 rental for the ferry, Shapiro said.

“I’m sitting here reading insurance policies and trying to figure out what’s going on,” he said.