Children rescued after fire on B.C. school ferry
No injuries have been reported after an engine fire broke out on a school boat in B.C. waters on Thursday morning.
The ferry, called the Graduate, was in Active Pass taking students and staff from Galiano Island and Mayne Island to Pender Island and Salt Spring Island when it suffered mechanical issues, according to the Gulf Islands School District (SD64).
The fire was discovered by crew members after an engine alarm activated. The flames were "quickly extinguished" and all safety procedures were followed by the operator, Gulf Islands Water Taxi, according to the school district.
First responders received reports of the fire around 7:30 a.m., according to Lt-Cdr. Tony Wright with Maritime Forces Pacific.
A Canadian Coast Guard team stationed in Ganges, on Salt Spring Island, responded to the emergency, as well as a BC Ferries vessel, the Coastal Renaissance.
The school district says 33 people – 31 students and two adults – were aboard the vessel at the time of the fire, and all passengers were safely transferred onto another Gulf Islands Water Taxi boat called the Scholar.
SD64 secretary treasurer Jesse Guy says students onboard the vessel were in Grades 6 – 12.
"We share the concern of family and community," said Guy on Thursday morning. "We have reached out to impacted families and will continue to do so."
She adds that students were met by district staff when they came ashore, and have been offered counselling supports at their schools.
"We have been assured by Gulf Island Water Taxi, the contract holder of our district's student water transportation, that all safety procedures were followed during the incident," said Guy.
The coast guard has since towed the Graduate to North Saanich, B.C., for repairs.
BC FERRIES RESPONSE
BC Ferries says it was contacted by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria to assist with a vessel in distress in Active Pass on Thursday morning.
The Coastal Renaissance, which was travelling from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay at the time of the fire, launched a rescue boat to assist in the rescue.
It was later stood down by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and BC Ferries did not take on any passengers from the Graduate.
"BC Ferries is involved in marine rescues from time to time and our crews are highly trained to respond to marine emergencies," said BC Ferries spokesperson Astrid Chang.
The ferry was delayed about 30 minutes due to the incident.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberals must now sell a budget they say will help younger Canadians catch up
It's now up to the federal Liberal government to sell a spending plan it says will help younger Canadians catch up to their elders.
Some of the winners and losers in the 2024 federal budget
With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget, winners include small businesses and fintech companies while losers include the tobacco industry and Canadian pension funds.
500 Newfoundlanders wound up on the same cruise and it turned into a rocking kitchen party
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
Ontario woman out $30K after investing in mortgage company accused of being unlicensed
An Ontario nurse is fighting to recover tens of thousands of dollars in savings she invested in a mortgage company that has since been accused of operating without a licence.
Actor Hugh Grant settles privacy lawsuit against Murdoch's Sun tabloid
British actor Hugh Grant has settled a lawsuit against the publisher of Rupert Murdoch's tabloid newspaper, The Sun, over claims journalists used private investigators to tap his phone and burgle his house, he said on Wednesday.
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
LIVE Peel police to provide update today on arrests in Pearson gold heist
More details are expected this morning on arrests that have been made in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport one year ago, Peel Regional Police say.
Father of boy accused of stabbing 2 Australian clerics saw no signs of extremism, Muslim leader says
The father of a boy accused of stabbing two Christian clerics in Australia saw no signs of his son’s extremism, a Muslim community leader said on Wednesday as police began arresting suspected rioters who besieged a Sydney church demanding revenge.
Stretching isn't always the answer for pain and muscle tension
For years, conventional wisdom in fitness culture has promoted the belief that stretching to become more flexible leads to better movement and injury prevention.