The Queen of Cumberland runs between Swartz Bay and the Southern Gulf Islands. Photograph Submitted
The tables were turned on two B.C. Ferries crew members doing rescue drills near the Swartz Bay terminal Wednesday afternoon when they had to be plucked from the water.
They were on the Queen of Cumberland performing the drills about 12:50 p.m. when there was a failure of a davit — a mechanism for retrieving and lowering boats. The failure came as the rescue boat being used was being retrieved, and the vessel dropped to the water, said B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall.
“It would have fallen abruptly into the water,” she said.
She said the crew members involved were prepared.
“They were both wearing their survival suits and personal-protective equipment.” That includes helmets, Marshall said. “That’s our usual procedure when employees are in a rescue boat.”
Craft deployed from shore got the crew members out of the water after about 10 or 15 minutes. Both employees were taken to hospital for assessment.
The Queen of Cumberland was scheduled for more of its regular sailings to the Gulf Islands after the drills, but was taken out of commission for the rest of Wednesday.
“We need to do an investigation into the root cause of that davit failure and we need to replace the rescue boat,” Marshall said.
The Bowen Queen will continue to provide service to Gulf Islands locations but there will be decreased capacity on the routes.
The following sailings were cancelled:
2:20 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
3:15 p.m. departing Otter Bay
4:20 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
5:25 p.m. departing Village Bay
6:40 p.m. departing Swartz Bay
7:40 p.m. departing Otter Bay
8:40 p.m. departing Sturdies Bay
9:35 p.m. departing Otter Bay
jwbell@timescolonist.com
