A group of boaters were rescued off of Gabriola Island after their boat began to take on water Sunday afternoon.
While the reason why the boat began to take on water is not clear, the boat made a mayday call at around 1:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
They say the boat was able to bail water while waiting for support boats to arrive.
The centre said smaller boats arrived along with the BC Ferries’ Queen of Alberni vessel, which was en route to Tsawwassen to help move the 15 onboard passengers from the sinking boat. A commercial boat later arrived to pump water from the boat, before a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft arrived from Sea Island on the Lower Mainland.
#ServiceNotice #Tsawwassen – #DukePoint #QueenOfAlberni is currently delayed due to assisting in a marine rescue for a vessel in distress.
Details and updates will be posted here: https://t.co/QLrp0P9UpI ^gh
— BC Ferries | Reconnecting BC (@BCFerries) August 15, 2021
The hovercraft took the 14 passengers back to Sea Island while the boat captain remained with the boat. There were no injuries during the incident, according to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
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Justin Waddell
