Tuesday, June 24, 2025
ADVT 
National

Tugboat brings in B.C. ferry after mechanical failure strands passengers for hours

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 22 Apr, 2025 11:02 AM
  • Tugboat brings in B.C. ferry after mechanical failure strands passengers for hours

Those aboard a disabled BC Ferries vessel had their destination in sight as it sat in the water for hours waiting to be pushed to shore by a tugboat on Monday.

Passenger Rohana Rezel said the trip from Langdale on the Sunshine Coast to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver usually took 40 minutes and should have finished around 11:30 a.m., but instead those aboard couldn't disembark until around 3 p.m. 

BC Ferries said in a service notice that the Queen of Coquitlam suffered a problem with its pitch control, which was later repaired, with the vessel expected to return to service late Monday afternoon.

Rezel said the ferry was close enough to Horseshoe Bay that drivers had been told to return to their cars before there was any sign of trouble.

"Just as I was about to get in the car, I heard another announcement from the captain, this time saying that, 'Oh, we're having some difficulty.' And then I noticed that the engine stopped and we stopped moving," he said.

"And then the captain said there's some trouble, his engineers are going to try to fix it."

Rezel said he returned to the deck and waited while crews tried to fix the problem before a tugboat was called to give the boat "a little push" to the terminal.

BC Ferries said it also hired three water taxis to shuttle travellers who were booked on other sailings.

Two round trip sailings of the ferry between Langdale on the Sunshine Coast and Horseshoe Bay had to be cancelled.

BC Ferries said the tugboat was used to assisted the ferry out of an "abundance of caution." 

Rezel said the mood aboard the stranded vessel was relatively calm on the sunny Monday, though he did hear passengerscalling airlines as they scrambled to rearrange flights.

"Overall, I didn't feel that people were getting agitated too much, but there was a sense that it's a long weekend. So BC Ferries should have made sure that ferries were in working order," he said.

The 49-year-old Queen of Coquitlam can hold 314 vehicles.

MORE National ARTICLES

Vancouver attacker accused of biting off security guard's finger tip: police

Vancouver attacker accused of biting off security guard's finger tip: police
Police in Vancouver say a man has been arrested and charged after he allegedly bit off the finger tip of a security guard during an attack downtown.

Vancouver attacker accused of biting off security guard's finger tip: police

Here's a list of March inflation rates for Canadian provinces

Here's a list of March inflation rates for Canadian provinces
Canada's annual inflation rate was 2.3 per cent in March, Statistics Canada says. Here's what happened in the provinces

Here's a list of March inflation rates for Canadian provinces

Here's a list of March inflation rates for selected Canadian cities

Here's a list of March inflation rates for selected Canadian cities
Canada's annual inflation rate was 2.3 per cent in March, Statistics Canada says. The agency also released rates formajor cities, but cautioned that figures may have fluctuated widely because they are based on small statistical samples

Here's a list of March inflation rates for selected Canadian cities

Inflation cooled to 2.3% in March as gas prices fell, StatCan says

Inflation cooled to 2.3% in March as gas prices fell, StatCan says
The annual rate of inflation slowed to 2.3 per cent last month, down from 2.6 per cent in February. A poll provided by LSEG Data & Analytics ahead of Tuesday’s release had expected yearly inflation to hold steady month-to-month.

Inflation cooled to 2.3% in March as gas prices fell, StatCan says

Party leaders make announcements in Montreal as debate prep kicks into high gear

Party leaders make announcements in Montreal as debate prep kicks into high gear
The main federal parties are campaigning in the Montreal area as their leaders get ready for the debates later this week — and the first face-to-face confrontation between Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Party leaders make announcements in Montreal as debate prep kicks into high gear

Charges stayed against Calgary man accused of smuggling migrants across border

Charges stayed against Calgary man accused of smuggling migrants across border
A Calgary man accused of human smuggling after allegations that he picked up foreign nationals who crossed into Manitoba from the United States has had his charges stayed.

Charges stayed against Calgary man accused of smuggling migrants across border