Be careful when backing any sort of boat or aquatic recreation vehicle into the water at Vanier Park Boat Ramp because you may end up submerged in the water.
A photo snapped by a bystander at the nearby Burrard Civic Marina was posted to a Vancouver subreddit last night (July 28) with the caption: "PSA: Cars do not float! Please remember this before driving it into the water."
The marina told Vancouver Is Awesome over the phone that they were aware of the incident but that they were not called upon to intervene, nor was the Vancouver Police Department or the Coast Guard.
A spokesperson for the Vancouver Parks Board said, "Yesterday we were made aware of a car becoming partially submerged in the water at the Vanier Park Boat Ramp. It occurred early in the afternoon. This occurs from time to time, as drivers accidentally reverse into the water from the ramp. In this case, the driver was able to get the car out by early evening and no one was injured."
The marina worker speculates that someone else using the ramp was able to tow the car out of the water.
What to do if your car ends up in the water
Had the car remained in the water it would need to be assessed by the Province and potentially deemed to be polluting in which case the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) would have stepped in. The CCG’s mandate regarding marine pollution response is for ship-sourced or marine mystery spills and since a car in the water is considered land-based the BC Ministry of Environment would have been notified. "Had the vehicle been deemed to be polluting, CCG would have assisted the Province in the response if requested," says a spokesperson over email.
The park board spokesperson confirmed that "there have been no environmental impacts from this incident."
V.I.A reached out to the original poster of the photo for comment. We can only assume the car is no longer drivable.
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