B.C. ferry passengers left waiting after vessel accidentally drops anchor at sea
Global News
No one was hurt, but passengers described a startling jolt when the anchor deployed. The incident forced the cancellation of two sailings between Vancouver Island and Tsawwassen.
There were some scary moments for passengers aboard a B.C. ferry on Friday as the vessel accidentally dropped its anchor near Mayne Island.
BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall said the Spirit of British Columbia had gone through Active Pass on its way from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen, and was just over a kilometre into the Strait of Georgia when the incident happened.
“The vessel was in no danger, nor were the passengers, — it was just an inconvenience in timing with the delay, and we certainly apologize to our customers for the delay,” she said.
While no one was hurt, passengers aboard the vessel said they definitely felt something happen.
“All of a sudden there was quite violent shuddering, and you know the ship was vibrating a lot, and then we kind of just came to a stop,” rider Bob Ransford told Global News by phone from the ferry.
“We didn’t drift or anything, we just kind of stopped, and the engines were still fully running and everything, and we haven’t moved.”