A BC Ferries passenger is in critical condition after going overboard near Bowen Island Sunday afternoon.
BC Ferries crew members on the Queen of Cowichan responded after a passenger went overboard about 25 minutes into the 1 p.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay.
The incident happened near Bowen Island and resulted in an extensive rescue effort involving BC Ferries crew members and the Canadian Coast Guard.
A spokesperson with the British Columbia Emergency Health Services told CHEK News on Monday morning that the individual was taken to hospital in critical condition but did not provide any further update on their condition.
“[A] paramedic crew met with the rescue crew at Spanish Banks and transported the patient to hospital in critical condition,” the spokesperson said.
Kevin Adhika, who was on the 1 p.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay, told CHEK News he saw crews pull one person from the water.
“I certainly didn’t wake up this morning thinking anything like that would happen,” he said.
He said multiple vessels were involved in the search and that the Queen of Cowichan didn’t move for over an hour.
“The search went on for about an hour,” recalled Adhika.
The incident resulted in the Queen of Cowichan sailings between West Vancouver and Nanaimo running behind 62 minutes behind schedule for the remainder of Sunday.
“We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of this delay,” the company said in a statement.
Nicholas Pescod
