Hundreds of passengers bound for Horseshoe Bay were evacuated from a ferry in Nanaimo on the weekend after an anonymous caller claimed there was a bomb on board.
The unidentified culprit phoned B.C. Ferries just after 3 p.m. Saturday to say there was an explosive device hidden somewhere on the Queen Of Coquitlam, which was just preparing to leave Departure Bay for the mainland.
The crew ordered some 500 travellers back to shore immediately, leaving their vehicles and other possessions behind while RCMP descended on the area to search it. A bomb-sniffing canine unit scoured the boat while other officers helped shut down the terminal and seal parts of the harbour to private boat traffic.
Officials used public buses to transfer the marooned passengers to an auditorium in the city while they waited for the all clear. At about 6:30 p.m., the ferry was declared safe and normal travel resumed.
The case has been turned over to the Nanaimo RCMP serious crimes unit, which is continuing to investigate.
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