B.C. ferry passengers left waiting after vessel accidentally drops anchor at sea – BC | 24CA News

There have been some scary moments for passengers aboard a B.C. ferry on Friday because the vessel unintentionally dropped its anchor close to Mayne Island.

BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall mentioned the Spirit of British Columbia had gone via Active Pass on its approach from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen, and was simply over a kilometre into the Strait of Georgia when the incident occurred.

“The vessel was in no danger, nor were the passengers, — it was just an inconvenience in timing with the delay, and we certainly apologize to our customers for the delay,” she mentioned.

While nobody was harm, passengers aboard the vessel mentioned they positively felt one thing occur.

“All of a sudden there was quite violent shuddering, and you know the ship was vibrating a lot, and then we kind of just came to a stop,” rider Bob Ransford informed Global News by cellphone from the ferry.

“We didn’t drift or anything, we just kind of stopped, and the engines were still fully running and everything, and we haven’t moved.”

“The loudest sound started rattling, and the people at the front of the window could see that the chain, the anchor was letting loose, the starboard anchor,” one other passenger mentioned after touchdown in Tsawwassen.

“Then everyone got up, which alarmed everyone behind them … people were floating to the back of the ship and the anchor just dropped, and then you could feel it hit the ocean floor, and then it just dragged … until finally it just brought us to a grinding halt.”

Marshall mentioned it’s unclear how the anchor deployed and the ferry firm will launch an investigation into what went improper.

The incident disrupted the corporate’s crusing schedule, prompting BC Ferries to cancel a 3 p.m. crusing from Tsawwassen and a 5 p.m. crusing from Swartz Bay because the Spirit of British Columbia crew labored to retrieve the anchor.

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