Post by ferryfast admin on Apr 2, 2006 20:48:36 GMT -5
Some progress in getting replacement B.C. ferry
Updated Sun. Apr. 2 2006 5:11 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
There is some slow progress for the beleaguered communities on British Columbia's north coast waiting anxiously for a ferry to replace the sunken Queen of the North.
The Queen of Prince Rupert, an older, slower, and smaller ferry, came out of dry dock on Friday evening to head to the Vancouver docks owned by the ferry corporation.
The vessel will undergo another two weeks of final touches on its retrofit that started in the Esquimalt dry dock -- and if all goes according to plan, it will be back in service on April 15.
The ferry service is much needed by the people on the north coast of Vancouver Island and the mainland who are somewhat isolated without the ferry service, which was lost when the Queen of the North sank.
Even though the Queen of Prince Rupert is older, smaller, and slower, it's condidered a great step forward from the services which are being offered since the sinking -- nothing more than a tug and barge service.
Mayday call
Meanwhile, a number of investigations by a number of agencies are on-going into the sinking of the Queen of the North. And, bit by bit, the public is being given access into what investigators are looking at.
An audiotape recording of the mayday call made from the coast guard station is one of the latest pieces of information to be released.
The eerie sounding broadcast was made by the Coast Guard station in Prince Rupert, and was relayed to mariners and communities in the surrounding area.
"Mayday relay. Mayday relay. Mayday relay. This is Prince Rupert Coast Guard Radio at 0028 Pacific Standard Time," stated the message.
"This station received a report from the ferry, Queen of the North, reporting aground, and listing badly, taking on water, just south of Sainty Point in Granville Channel."
Investigation
In other developments, the RCMP and officials with B.C. Ferries insist that there is no criminal investigation into last week's sinking.
The statement comes after media reports that such an investigation was underway.
The RCMP issued a release on Friday saying they don't have all the information they need to start a criminal investigation.
"At this time, it is too early to determine if a criminal investigation is warranted," spokesman Staff Sgt. John Ward said in the release.
In an earlier report, Prince Rupert RCMP Sgt. Ken Burton said the probe would include potential criminal liability on the part of BC Ferries under Bill C-45 -- which holds organizations criminally liable for their actions.
"That's one of the perspectives'' he told The Vancouver Province newspaper Thursday.
"We are exploring all the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event."
B.C. Ferries CEO David Hahn said the report was reckless.
"It's really unfortunate to go out there and say there's a criminal investigation coming down and its already in place and the RCMP has to waste a lot of their time and we have to waste some of our time clarifying," Hahn said at a news conference.
"It was reported in a very poor fashion. I think there's a need to seek facts. I think that's what the public wants, that's what they deserve. I think the family of the people that lost their lives actually deserve that."
Staff member recounts sinking
Meantime, a cook on the sinking ferry has told the Terrace Standard how he felt the icy cold water pouring into his sleeping quarters below deck, and he instantly started figuring out how to get everyone off the vessel.
"I felt the first touch and I figured we were making a landing, we were parking and figured 'oh, what a rough landing,' and then I felt the second hit and I knew something was wrong," George Kozak told the newspaper.
"We're trained to do a job and we're trained to save people and the crew and I guess that's all that kicked into my head," he said. "Grab your pants, put them on, grab your shoes, don't worry about socks, grab your jacket and run."
Passengers presumed dead
Two passengers -- Gerald Foisey and Shirley Rosette -- are missing and presumed dead after the 125-metre ferry veered off course and crashed into rocks about 75 kilometres southwest of Prince Rupert, B.C.
The ship went down in 427 metres of water around 1:30 a.m. on March 22 -- an hour after tearing its bottom out on the rocks of Gil Island.
A television report earlier this week quoted sources as saying the Queen of the North was on auto-pilot when it veered off course.
A total of 99 passengers and crew were rescued with the help of residents from the nearby aboriginal village of Hartley Bay.
With reports from CTV Vancouver and The Canadian Press
Updated Sun. Apr. 2 2006 5:11 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
There is some slow progress for the beleaguered communities on British Columbia's north coast waiting anxiously for a ferry to replace the sunken Queen of the North.
The Queen of Prince Rupert, an older, slower, and smaller ferry, came out of dry dock on Friday evening to head to the Vancouver docks owned by the ferry corporation.
The vessel will undergo another two weeks of final touches on its retrofit that started in the Esquimalt dry dock -- and if all goes according to plan, it will be back in service on April 15.
The ferry service is much needed by the people on the north coast of Vancouver Island and the mainland who are somewhat isolated without the ferry service, which was lost when the Queen of the North sank.
Even though the Queen of Prince Rupert is older, smaller, and slower, it's condidered a great step forward from the services which are being offered since the sinking -- nothing more than a tug and barge service.
Mayday call
Meanwhile, a number of investigations by a number of agencies are on-going into the sinking of the Queen of the North. And, bit by bit, the public is being given access into what investigators are looking at.
An audiotape recording of the mayday call made from the coast guard station is one of the latest pieces of information to be released.
The eerie sounding broadcast was made by the Coast Guard station in Prince Rupert, and was relayed to mariners and communities in the surrounding area.
"Mayday relay. Mayday relay. Mayday relay. This is Prince Rupert Coast Guard Radio at 0028 Pacific Standard Time," stated the message.
"This station received a report from the ferry, Queen of the North, reporting aground, and listing badly, taking on water, just south of Sainty Point in Granville Channel."
Investigation
In other developments, the RCMP and officials with B.C. Ferries insist that there is no criminal investigation into last week's sinking.
The statement comes after media reports that such an investigation was underway.
The RCMP issued a release on Friday saying they don't have all the information they need to start a criminal investigation.
"At this time, it is too early to determine if a criminal investigation is warranted," spokesman Staff Sgt. John Ward said in the release.
In an earlier report, Prince Rupert RCMP Sgt. Ken Burton said the probe would include potential criminal liability on the part of BC Ferries under Bill C-45 -- which holds organizations criminally liable for their actions.
"That's one of the perspectives'' he told The Vancouver Province newspaper Thursday.
"We are exploring all the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event."
B.C. Ferries CEO David Hahn said the report was reckless.
"It's really unfortunate to go out there and say there's a criminal investigation coming down and its already in place and the RCMP has to waste a lot of their time and we have to waste some of our time clarifying," Hahn said at a news conference.
"It was reported in a very poor fashion. I think there's a need to seek facts. I think that's what the public wants, that's what they deserve. I think the family of the people that lost their lives actually deserve that."
Staff member recounts sinking
Meantime, a cook on the sinking ferry has told the Terrace Standard how he felt the icy cold water pouring into his sleeping quarters below deck, and he instantly started figuring out how to get everyone off the vessel.
"I felt the first touch and I figured we were making a landing, we were parking and figured 'oh, what a rough landing,' and then I felt the second hit and I knew something was wrong," George Kozak told the newspaper.
"We're trained to do a job and we're trained to save people and the crew and I guess that's all that kicked into my head," he said. "Grab your pants, put them on, grab your shoes, don't worry about socks, grab your jacket and run."
Passengers presumed dead
Two passengers -- Gerald Foisey and Shirley Rosette -- are missing and presumed dead after the 125-metre ferry veered off course and crashed into rocks about 75 kilometres southwest of Prince Rupert, B.C.
The ship went down in 427 metres of water around 1:30 a.m. on March 22 -- an hour after tearing its bottom out on the rocks of Gil Island.
A television report earlier this week quoted sources as saying the Queen of the North was on auto-pilot when it veered off course.
A total of 99 passengers and crew were rescued with the help of residents from the nearby aboriginal village of Hartley Bay.
With reports from CTV Vancouver and The Canadian Press