Post by ferryfast admin on Mar 22, 2006 14:03:10 GMT -5
BC FERRIES PHOTO-QUEEN OF THE NORTH
B.C. Ferry Sinks; All 101 Aboard Rescued
By Associated Press
Published March 22, 2006, 11:04 AM CST
PRINCE RUPERT, British Columbia -- A ferry carrying 101 people along a scenic route near Vancouver Island hit a rock and sank early Wednesday, but the passengers and crew all escaped with only minor injuries, authorities said.
The passengers and crew boarded life boats and were picked up by a Canadian icebreaker, said a rescue agency spokeswoman, Capt. Leah Byrne. Local fishermen also turned out to help.
"From what we hear, it took about an hour for the ship to sink," Byrne said.
The 409-foot Queen of the North hit the rock off the Queen Charlotte Islands about 85 miles south of this mainland town near the southern tip of Alaska. The ferry, built in 1969 and refitted in 2001, can carry up to 700 people and 115 vehicles and operates year-round on a 280-mile route between Prince Rupert and Port Hardy at the northern end of Vancouver Island.
Some of the crew members reported they were asleep when the accident occurred, said Nicole Robinson, a receptionist at a nursing station in Hartley Bay.
"They heard a loud bang like it grinded a bit and they said the cabin started filling with water," she said.
The entire village of Hartley Bay, with about 200 residents, pitched in when the distress call came, including fishermen who rushed out to help evacuate the sinking ship, said 13-year-old Shelby Robinson.
"Most of the guys went out and got their boats running right away and they took people in by groups," she said.
A rescue helicopter and airplane were sent to the scene, and representatives of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada were expected to arrive later Wednesday to investigate.
There was no indication of problems before the ferry crew radioed an emergency call for help as 45 mph wind created choppy seas.
The community center in Hartley Bay, an Indian reservation village south of Prince Rupert, was used as a shelter for the passengers and crew. Robinson said many of those who arrived were "stunned" and a few were treated for minor injuries.
"The community all got together with blankets. Everybody's pretty cold, but they're all down at a community hall," she said.
The president of B.C. Ferries, David Hahn, said he was thankful for the crew members who did their jobs after the accident.
"It's unfortunate to lose the ship, but if that's the cost of having nobody really hurt or killed, then fine, I think we'll live with that," Hahn added.
* __
On the Net:
B.C. Ferries: www.bcferries.com/