Caught on camera: Tugboat capsizes off Vancouver Island
A tugboat assisting in towing a barge with two homes on it ended up capsizing near Point Holmes off Comox, Vancouver Island.
The incident happened just after 7 p.m. Thursday as two tugboats were guiding the barge to shore. During the trip, the smaller tugboat, called a "dozer tug," flipped.
"It was just a quick jerk and the next thing you know the little boat just completely flipped over," says Marie Racine, who was on shore hoping to see the barge offload the homes.
The tug didn't right itself and Racine says it took the tugboat operator 20 to 30 seconds to resurface, which seemed like an eternity at the time.
"It was intense to see it capsize but way more intense to see the time period where this man was (underwater)," Racine says. "Is he going to come up? Is he going to live? And thank god that he did."
The man was able to climb up onto the hull of the ship and was rescued immediately by the other tugboat and people aboard the barge.
Racine says the capsized boat ended up being tied to the barge and the barge did not make it the shore that evening.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) says it was aware of the incident but did not deploy resources at the time. The JRCC adds that is not that uncommon for these types of tugboats to flip.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.