B.C. Ferries crews rescued a passenger who went overboard Thursday evening from a vessel that had left Swartz Bay — the second such incident in as many days.
On Wednesday afternoon, a man was rescued after he reportedly jumped off a B.C. Ferries vessel that was leaving Tsawwassen for Swartz Bay.
The Thursday incident occurred on the 5 p.m. Spirit of British Columbia sailing from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen.
B.C. Ferries said in a statement that it immediately deployed a rescue boat and was able to locate the passenger, who was then transferred to a Canadian Coast Guard vessel deployed by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
The incident delayed the 5 p.m. sailing as well as sailings at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
“Having one incident like this is unusual, and two in such a short time frame is rare,” said Sonia Lowe, senior communications adviser for B.C. Ferries.
Lowe said in a statement Friday that anyone intentionally going overboard or throwing items overboard presents an extremely dangerous situation for all involved and can cause significant disruption to service.
“It creates a life-threatening emergency for the individual involved and puts our crews at risk,” said Lowe.
Such actions can lead to travel restrictions, fines, or legal proceedings, depending on the circumstances, according to B.C. Ferries.
All crew members undergo Transport Canada-mandated training in marine safety and are trained to respond quickly to overboard situations, but “these incidents are distressing for everyone involved, including passengers and crews,” said the ferry corporation.
The man who went overboard on Wednesday was transported to Delta Hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.
Delta police said the man is believed to have jumped from the vessel a few miles from shore, sustaining minor injuries.
“Our members are actively investigating the incident to determine why/how he ended up in the water,” said Staff Sgt. Mike Whiteley, media-relations officer for the Delta police.
The Spirit of Vancouver Island had left on its 1 p.m. sailing when the incident occurred and stopped while the crew mounted a rescue, which included having the Queen of New Westminster standing by.
The Wednesday sailing was delayed by about an hour in getting to Swartz Bay.
— With files from Jeff Bell
