UPDATE: The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria says search crews were stood down this evening after approximately 4 hours scanning the waters around Entrance Island. No person was found.
A BC Ferries crew, The Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Marine Search and Rescue carried out a search in the Strait of Georgia late Friday afternoon after a passenger on the Queen of Oak Bay reported seeing a hand gripping a floating log.
The passenger alerted the ferry’s crew around 4:30 p.m. as it was nearing Departure Bay.
The ship stopped immediately to begin a search of the area and crew deployed life rings approximately 10 kilometers east of Entrance Island.
The Coast Guard hovercraft, a Royal Marine Search and Rescue vessel out of Nanaimo and a Cormorant helicopter from CFB Comox also joined in.
No person has been located.
The Queen of Oak Bay was stood down about 90-minutes later and proceeded towards Nanaimo.
It comes less than two weeks after a massive search operation lead to the rescue of a woman who jumped off the Queen of Cowichan as it sailed the same route.
She was found more than 5 hours later holding on to a life ring.
Ben O'Hara
