A routine ferry crossing on Friday turned into a daring marine rescue.
The Queen of Nanaimo responded to a Mayday call from a boat that had run aground on rocks with seven passengers aboard.
“When one of our vessels gets a call to respond to a marine emergency, the crew quickly jump into action,” said Darren Johnston, BC Ferries’ Director of Fleet Operations.
Not only are BC Ferries’ crews trained to respond to an emergency onboard one of their own vessels, but they also have training in emergency response to assist other vessels on the open water.
On Friday, two crew members climbed into a rescue boat and travelled to the beached boat. After bringing the seven boaters safely aboard the rescue boat, Canada Customs took over from BC Ferries to assist the pleasure boaters.
“We can respond to an incident in as little as five minutes,” says Johnston. “We pride ourselves on a quick response time, because of the risk of hypothermia in the cold waters of British Columbia.”
One of Many Rescues
In an average year, BC Ferries’ vessels respond to approximately 125 marine emergencies. Assistance ranges from providing visual confirmation of a situation to recovering people from the water and applying advanced first aid treatment.
On the recent July 14 to 16 weekend, BC Ferries’ crew had their hands full.
The Coastal Renaissance spotted an unoccupied zodiac near Snake Island off the Nanaimo Harbour area. Crew still investigated to ensure nothing was wrong.
Crews from the MV Kuper and Howe Sound Queen also responded to a Mayday call from a boat in distress near Tent Island. They then towed the boat to a safe position.
In addition, the MV Kahloke launched its rescue boat to assist a pleasure craft. The ferry then remained in the area until Canadian Coast Guard arrived.
The Queen of Nanaimo also did double duty. It launched its rescue boat for a second time while alongside Tsawwassen terminal to retrieve two canoeists. They were taken ashore for further care.
Photos of Man Overboard Drill
