The M.S. River Rouge tour boat ran aground Thursday morning, north of Winnipeg, said RCMP.

About 69 passengers were on board the vessel on July 29 when it became stuck on either a sandbar or rock reef on the Red River, north of Miller Road, off of Highway 9, said officers.

It was on its way to Lower Fort Garry when it hit shallow water around 11 a.m..

The boat's owner, Kyriakos Vogiatzakis, told CTV News that the 450-tonne boat was sitting in about two feet of water and said there were no marked buoys to indicate shallow water.

Vogiatzakis said safety is the first priority for the River Rouge. No injuries were reported.

A tugboat was sent to the scene to try and pull the River Rouge out, but that attempt was unsuccessful.

The coast guard was sent out on Thursday evening. Other boats helped transport passengers to shore about eight hours after the ship became stranded.

Vogiatzakis said the federal government should have placed buoys or markers in shallow water areas.

A spokesperson for Fisheries and Oceans issued a statement saying the captain of the River Rouge signed a waiver acknowledging that normal summer levels were not present and until the buoys are placed into position, the Red River is not considered safe for navigation.

The owner of the River Rouge was not available to respond to the statement on Friday afternoon.

Transportation Canada is investigating the incident. The coast guard was working with the River Rouge's owner to find ways of getting the boat out on Friday.