Passengers were stuck in a B.C. Ferries vessel for nearly two-and-a-half hours Tuesday after the ferry slammed into the Duke Point wharf in Nanaimo. The ferry corporation blames an “electrical problem” for the crash. A new part is being ordered from Germany.
Heather Klein was inside her car on board the Coastal Inspiration when the ferry hit the dock around 2:50 p.m. She said a brief warning was announced just before the hit.
“Caution on the deck, something about the deck,” said Klein of the announcement. “All of a sudden, there was a big crash and we hit something. I had my puppy in the front seat and he flew so I kind of reached out to grab him so he didn’t hit the dash.”
Get daily National news
B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said about 350 people were on the ferry. She said the ferry had a “hard landing” and that there was “significant damage to the dock.” The ferry’s port side doors were also damaged. One crew member and two passengers suffered minor soft-tissue injuries.
The Duke Point terminal will be closed indefinitely.
Klein, who works in Vancouver, was heading to her parents’ place in Comox for the holidays. This is the first time she’s ever experienced a ferry crash, she said.
“I’ve been on the ferry a hundred times, it’s certainly not a hard landing when there’s a small dog that’s airborne,” she said. “I was expecting to hear that horrible crunch of cars hitting each other, which I didn’t. I couldn’t believe it.”
The Coastal Inspiration was eventually detoured to Departure Bay via a tugboat. Shuttle bus services between Departure Bay and Duke Point were provided. Ferries from Nanaimo to Tsawwassen will depart from Departure Bay until further notice.
– With a file from David Carrigg
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.