BC Ferries vessel assists in rescue of 7 from stranded speedboat
Speedboat had run aground on rock near Galiano Island
A BC Ferries vessel assisted in the rescue of seven people whose speedboat had run aground near Galiano Island Friday afternoon.
BC Ferries spokesperson Darin Guenette says the Queen of Nanaimo received a mayday call at approximately 4:30 p.m. PT
The ship had just left the ferry terminal at Galiano Island and was en route to Tsawwassen when it received the call of a boat stuck on a nearby rock.
The ship deployed a zodiac-type rescue vessel to rescue seven people, including both adults and children and turned them over to a Canada Border Services Agency customs ship.
"This sort of thing is what the crew are trained for. It's why they're there," Guenette said. "We see over 100 or 125 responses or call-outs a year to this type of marine emergency on average."
Guenette says the entire incident took about 15 to 20 minutes and there were no injuries or medical issues to report.
BC Ferries says the Queen of Nanaimo was running about 80 minutes late as a result.