British Columbia

Tugboat capsizes, sinks in Vancouver harbour

Two people were rescued from the water in Vancouver, after the tugboat they were on capsized Friday night.

2 people rescued from the water and taken to hospital as a precautionary measure

Crab Park on Burrard Inlet near Centerm Terminal where two people were rescued after the tugboat they were on capsized. (Google Streetview)

Two people were rescued from the water in Vancouver, after the tugboat they were on capsized Friday night.

A Canadian Coast Guard spokesperson said a mayday call came in at about 8 p.m., and a nearby sailing vessel was able to pull two people to safety near the Centerm Terminal, east of Crab Park in Burrard Inlet.

The rescued people were handed off to a coast guard boat, and then to paramedics with the B.C. Ambulance Service.

The coast guard spokesperson said the two resisted medical treatment, but were convinced to get checked out at hospital as a precautionary measure.

The tugboat sank in relatively shallow water, but according to the coast guard, there was no environmental contamination from the incident.

The spokesperson said it's likely the tug company, which wasn't named, will recover the boat.

The boat was towing a barge loaded with gravel, which was unaffected by the sinking and later collected by another tugboat.