Dog rescued after being stranded on edge of BC Ferries vessel

Victoria -

A BC Ferries vessel came to a dramatic stop on Thursday evening after a small dog was found perched on the rubber bumper of the ferry.

Ferry passenger Tyler Reeves says the 7 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay was about halfway through its voyage when travellers spotted the dog at the edge of the moving ferry.

Reeves says his friend pointed out the dog to him, before more and more people began to notice the stranded animal.

"Pretty much seconds later the whole boat was leaning over the edge to see what the problem was," he told CTV News on Friday.

The incident prompted the operators of the Queen of New Westminster ferry to stop the boat, Reeves says.

"The boat had to stop for about 20 to 30 minutes," said Reeves.

"They couldn't find the owner, he was nowhere to be seen."

Eventually, Reeves says someone walked on the bumper and brought the dog back onto the vehicle deck.

"It ended pretty good. The dog was safe," he said, adding that the owner was eventually found.

Reeves say the 7 p.m. ferry, which had already left about 15 to 20 minutes behind schedule, arrived in Victoria around 9 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

While some were annoyed by the delay, others were relieved that the dog was safe, says Reeves.