BC Ferries vessel drops anchor midway through sailing
Two BC Ferries sailings between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland have been cancelled after a mechanical issue caused one of the company's largest vessels to stall Friday afternoon.
The Spirit of British Columbia vessel left Swartz Bay bound for Tsawwassen at 1 p.m.
During the passage, the vessel experienced an issue with its starboard anchor, which spokesperson Deborah Marshall called "an inadvertent release" in a statement to CTV News.
"There is no danger to the vessel or the passengers on board," Marshall said. "The crew are working on retrieving the anchor. The ship will get underway as soon as possible."
At 4 p.m., the spokesperson confirmed the vessel's crew had successfully retrieved the anchor and resumed its trip to Tsawwassen with an estimated arrival time of 4:20 p.m.
"As a result of the delays, the 3 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen and the 5 p.m. sailing from Swartz Bay are cancelled today," Marshall said. "We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience."
A passenger on the ship told CTV News that she heard a loud noise when the anchor dropped from the vessel without warning.
Dirk Meissner was sitting near the front of the ferry when the anchor started to move. He said the vessel had just made it out of Active Pass when the anchor released.
"It has these huge chain links and it starts to go, to drop into the ocean, and we're all, like, sitting here going, 'Oh, that seems weird,'" he said. "The whole front of the boat was kind of shaking."
Meissner estimated it took 45 seconds to a minute for the anchor to fully extend, and said the vessel was stopped for more than an hour while crew members slowly hauled it back up.
Marshall said BC Ferries has not yet determined the cause of the incident, but is investigating.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs forward William Nylander sits out 3rd straight game to open the playoffs
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander sat out his third straight game to open the playoffs Wednesday night because of an undisclosed injury.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.