Complex salvage efforts underway after 3 boats sink in Campbell River
Salvage crews are hard at work in Campbell River, B.C., recovering three sunken vessels at a local marina.
The first boat went down in November, and two more sank on Saturday morning.
Salvaging the boats will be a complicated matter, as two vessels are tied together at the bottom of the Discovery Harbour Marina.
Bill McDonald lives aboard a vessel at the marina but didn't realize there was a problem until he saw divers at work trying to recover the two vessels that sunk Saturday.
The sunken ships include a 17-metre former fishing vessel and an eight-metre tug boat.
"The odd thing about it is that when they go down they don't make any noise," said McDonald.
"You'd think there'd be hissing like a whale coming down. No, they just disappear," he said.
McDonald says Saturday's wrecks were just the latest in a series to go under.
"You can pretty well make the assessment of which ones are going to go because they've been neglected, particularly the old plank-on-frame wood boats," he said.
The boats that sank Saturday join a third vessel which sank in the marina in November.
On Monday, crews were still trying to contain any fluid leaks coming from the three boats, with extra booms being placed along the most recent sunken vessels.
"Luckily, in this case, one of the owners is being very diligent," said Jeff Brady, superintendent of environmental response with the Canadian Coast Guard.
"We're working with them. They've hired contractors," he said. "Unfortunately the other case is – not so much."
The coast guard says action can be taken under the Canada Shipping Act or under a new Wrecked, Abandoned, Hazardous Vessels Act.
Because the two vessels that sank on Saturday went down together, salvagers expect it to take until at least the weekend for cleanup efforts to wrap up.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
'I won't stop,' Celine Dion says in trailer for upcoming doc about her health woes
Celine Dion's fans are getting a first glimpse of the superstar's struggle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional trailer for an upcoming documentary about her career and life.
Hidden risks: Why ultra-processed food may be hurting our brains
Ultra-processed foods are quick, convenient and hard to avoid, but there is growing evidence that eating these products can have an impact on brain health, leading to cognitive decline and stroke.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
Tim Meadows pledges not to shave until the Oilers win the cup, who are the team's other famous fans?
An unlikely celebrity emerged from social media to cheer on the Edmonton Oilers as they face the Dallas Stars tonight in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.