A ship full of passengers has been stranded on the water for hours after a “mechanical issue” emerged within a BC Ferries vessel Tuesday afternoon.
The passengers were supposed to dock in Tsawwassen just before 3 p.m. on Oct. 27.
As of 5 p.m., the passengers and crew were seen hovering the waters off of the dock, still not unloaded onto dry land at their planned destination.
Now, the rest of the day's sailings to-and-from Vancouver Island, on the Queen of Alberni, have been called off.
This includes:
- 3:15 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
- 5:45 p.m. departing Duke Point
- 8:15 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
- 10:45 p.m. departing Duke Point
A BC Ferries spokesperson said on its website the issue is with the ship’s gearbox.
“We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of these cancellations,” the company added.
UPDATE: The vessel was tugged to the terminal after dark Tuesday night, and the nearly 200 passengers were able to disembark safely. Sailings into the early morning in and out of Tsawwassen were cancelled, however. Read more HERE.
