List of BC Ferries accidents and incidents

The following is a summary of some of the incidents that have occurred involving BC Ferries vessels and/or properties.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Vessels

Queen of Alberni

Main article: Queen of Alberni § Accidents

In 1979, the Queen of Alberni ran aground in Active Pass. Many cars and trucks were damaged when the ship tilted over, and some flipped over completely. There were no major injuries, and the only casualty was a racehorse that was being transported.

Misfortune struck again in 1989 when ship smashed into the dock at the Departure Bay terminal in Nanaimo. Six people were injured.

On March 12, 1992, at 8:08am (16:08 UTC), Queen of Alberni collided with the Japanese freighter Shinwa Maru southwest of Tsawwassen. The collision occurred in heavy fog, with both vessels suffering minor damage. Injuries included 2 serious and 25 minor injuries for the 260 people on the ferry, while none of the 11 people aboard the freighter received injuries.

Queen of Burnaby

On August 25, 1966, the Queen of Burnaby broke her mooring at Departure Bay terminal while engines were being run in the early morning. The variable-pitch propellers were not left in the neutral position as was standard, and no crew was present on the bridge. The ferry was recovered after the anchor was dropped and the captain was shuttled to the vessel, and all sailings continued as scheduled.

Queen of Coquitlam

The Queen of Coquitlam tipped over due to a leak in the dry dock

On October 19, 1980, Queen of Coquitlam sustained $3 million of damage on tipping in the Burrard Shipyard floating dry dock.

In October 1995, the vessel lost power and slammed into pilings at Horseshoe Bay, damaging its bow.

Queen of Cowichan

On August 12, 1985, three occupants were killed when Queen of Cowichan ran over a pleasure boat near the Horseshoe Bay terminal. The BC Court of Appeal found the Cowichan two thirds at fault and ordered that $500,000 in damages be paid.

On June 19, 2018, the vessel launched a rescue boat to recover a man who went overboard near Bowen Island, after the ferry had departed Horseshoe Bay for Nanaimo. The man was transferred to nearby Coast Guard vessel, and the ferry experienced minor delays in the continuation of its sailing.

On October 19, 2019, a crew member was significantly injured after being hit by the vessel's bow door which was having trouble opening at Horseshoe Bay terminal. The next round trip to Departure Bay and back was subsequently cancelled.

On February 21, 2021, the RCMP were called to meet the vessel as it arrived at the Departure Bay ferry terminal, after two intoxicated women (aged 19 and 43) acted belligerently and caused a disturbance while refusing to wear masks while on a sailing from Horseshoe Bay, during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the women then threatened to kill one of the two responding RCMP officers, while the other threatened to sue both officers for false arrest and ensure they lost their pensions. The women were arrested for mischief and public intoxication, and were held in jail overnight. The officers elected not to pursue criminal charges and instead the pair were released the next day after they were issued $920 worth of tickets each for violating COVID-19 restrictions and acting abusively.

Queen of Cumberland

On April 18, 2018, Queen of Cumberland crew members were injured during a safety drill at Swartz Bay ferry terminal. When a hoist cable parted on the ship's davit, a rescue boat holding two occupants fell about 11 metres (36 ft) into the water. The boat was damaged and the individuals injured, one seriously.

Queen of the Islands

On September 20, 1978, Queen of the Islands rammed the Saltery Bay dock causing $495,000 worth of damage.

Queen of Nanaimo

On November 2, 2013, Queen of Nanaimo was pushed off course by severe weather as it was leaving the berth at Village Bay, Mayne Island. It damaged a private dock, and no one was injured. There was damage to the ship and all Tsawwassen–Gulf Islands sailings had to be cancelled while it was repaired.

Queen of New Westminster

On October 20, 1971, Queen of New Westminster pulled out of its berth at the Departure Bay terminal while vehicle loading was in progress. A car and its two occupants fell into the water. Both of the vehicle's occupants were rescued.

In a similar incident, on August 13, 1992, the Queen of New Westminster pulled out of its berth at the Departure Bay terminal while vehicle loading ramps were still lowered and resting on the ship. Three people were killed, including two children, one was seriously injured, and two others received minor injuries when a van containing 6 people fell 15 m (49 ft) from the upper deck onto the lower car deck and finally into the sea below. The van had been stopped and instructed to wait on the loading ramp by terminal crew members. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada determined that the accident was caused by the vessel not properly following departing procedures and secondarily due to poor communication between terminal and ship crew members.

Queen of the North

On December 17, 1974, the formerly named Queen of Surrey was withdrawn to repair damage from a fire in an electrical panel.

Main article: Sinking of the MV Queen of the North

On March 22, 2006, Queen of the North sank 135 nmi (250 km; 155 mi) south of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, when it struck Gil Island at approximately 1:00 a.m. Two people from 100 Mile House were reported missing. BC Ferries CEO David Hahn said, "There is a real possibility that they went down with the ship." It is unlikely that it will be possible to salvage Queen of the North.

Officials determined the cause of the incident was human error by three BC Ferries employees neglecting their navigational duties. Charges of criminal negligence causing death were considered, and a class action lawsuit for the passengers is proceeding while the Ferry and Marine Union sought to reinstate the fired crew who failed to provide information to the $1 million TSB enquiry.

Queen of Oak Bay

Main article: MV Queen of Oak Bay § 2005 grounding

On June 30, 2005, the Queen of Oak Bay lost power and drifted into Sewell's Marina, damaging 28 pleasure crafts and running aground near Horseshoe Bay. No injuries were reported, and subsequent investigations revealed a missing cotter pin in the speed governor system as the cause of the incident. BC Ferries quickly repaired the vessel, which returned to service on July 8, 2005.

Queen of Prince Rupert

On August 25, 1982, the Queen of Prince Rupert departed from McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella, Campbell Island) several hours behind schedule, headed for Ocean Falls. In an effort to make up for some of the lost time, the captain ordered for the ship to be taken through Gunboat Passage, a narrow and dangerous shortcut. Gunboat Passage would have allowed for the vessel to entirely skip having to go south all the way around Denny Island, before going north again, up to Ocean Falls. This shortcut allows for a ship to sail between Denny Island and Cunningham Island, cutting the sailing time to Ocean Falls approximately in half.

When the Queen of Prince Rupert entered Gunboat Passage, several passengers aboard the ship went immediately to the Purser's Office to warn the crew that they were going the wrong way, down an unsafe passage. The Purser informed them that the captain knew what he was doing, and that everything was going as planned. Soon after, the ship ran aground in a particularly tight part of the channel. The captain quickly had the ship removed from the rock, then continued forward and ran aground again, on the same rock, further damaging the hull. This time, the ship would not budge, and the crew and passengers had to wait for 12 hours before being pulled away by a variety of tugboats, fishing boats, and a Coast Guard ship.

The captain turned the Queen of Prince Rupert around and opted to sail around Denny Island that time.

Queen of Saanich

On the morning of February 6, 1992, Queen of Saanich and the passenger catamaran Royal Vancouver collided in heavy fog near the northern entrance of Active Pass. The bow doors of the Saanich were damaged. Aboard the Royal Vancouver, 23 passengers and four crew sustained largely minor injuries. Although both vessels were operating their radar systems, the Royal Vancouver was found negligent in this regard.

Queen of Surrey

On August 29, 1982, Queen of Surrey rammed the Horseshoe Bay dock causing significant damage.

On May 12, 2003, the vessel was disabled as a result of an engine room fire. Queen of Capilano was dispatched and tethered to Queen of Surrey while tugboats were dispatched. The vessel was then towed back to shore. None of the 318 passengers were injured, but several crew members were treated for minor injuries. Some buckling of the main car deck resulted from the heat of the fire, but no vehicles were damaged in the incident.

On March 26, 2019, the 7:30 a.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay of the vessel had an incident while docking at Langdale at 8:10am. The ship collided with a terminal structure and damaged its leading end. The bow of the ferry subsequently became lodged on the structure, causing severe delays, with all following vehicle sailings that day cancelled until the late evening, when relief could be provided. Passenger service was offered by water taxi for walk-in passengers.

Queen of Victoria

On August 2, 1970, the Soviet freighter Sergey Yesenin collided with Queen of Victoria in Active Pass, slicing through the middle of the ferry, days after its return to service following stretching. Three people were killed, and damage was estimated at over $1 million (1970 dollars). The Soviet ship did not have permission to be in Active Pass, and as such, the Soviet government compensated BC Ferries.

In 1972, while in Active Pass and within metres of the site of the 1970 collision, Queen of Victoria was disabled by a fire in the engine room.

Langdale Queen

On January 23, 1966, Langdale Queen ran over a rowboat at Horseshoe Bay, on which both occupants survived.

Mayne Queen

On November 7, 1995, Mayne Queen departed from Snug Cove and ran into a neighbouring marina, heavily damaging a floating dock in addition to 12 small pleasure boats, one of which sank. The crash was primarily attributed to human error and while transferring steering and power control from one control panel to the other located in the ship. The vessel's captain was also inexperienced with Mayne Queen and normally piloted other vessels. The captain then promptly left the scene of the accident after the incident without conducting a proper damage assessment.

On August 12, 1996, Mayne Queen departed Swartz Bay terminal and ran aground off Piers Island after losing steering control. The grounding occurred while performing a regular weekly test of the batteries for the steering control system. A crew member overheard there was going to be a test, and in an attempt to be helpful, and without direction, cut all power from the vessel's steering batteries, as he had done at night when the ship was stored. However, he did not realize that the test in question only required the removal of a battery charger and that his assistance was neither requested nor required. No one was injured in the incident, and the vessel was assisted off the rocks at high tide, but it suffered extensive damage to its propulsion system, having two of the four steering and propulsion pods for the right-angle drives sheared off and one of the two remaining pods suffering propeller damage.

Sechelt Queen

On April 5, 1962, Sechelt Queen ran aground on a submerged reef east of Snake Island in dense fog.

On July 17, 1962, a time-bomb, comprising three sticks of dynamite, likely planted by the Freedomites, destroyed a locker on board the Sechelt Queen.

On July 14, 1974, Sechelt Queen collided with a pleasure craft in Active Pass, causing some damage, but did not stop to render assistance.

Vesuvius Queen

In August 1983, Vesuvius Queen rammed and substantially damaged the Saltspring Island dock.

Spirit of British Columbia

On July 27, 2005, a man travelling to Mayne Island missed his ferry, so he got on the Spirit of British Columbia and jumped off as the ferry was approaching Active Pass. The man refused rescue assistance from crew members, and was later banned from travelling with BC Ferries.

On April 27, 2019, Spirit of British Columbia was damaged while docking at Tsawwassen ferry terminal during heavy winds.

On April 2, 2021, Spirit of British Columbia was forced to turn around and return to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal in the middle of a sailing to Tsawwassen, after a man caused a disturbance while refusing to wear a mask, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The RCMP met the passenger upon the ferry reaching the terminal, and issued them two tickets worth $230 each. The passenger was also permanently banned from BC Ferries. The sailing was left running 44 minutes behind schedule as a result of the incident.

On September 29, 2021, three men were arrested by Delta Police onboard Spirit of British Columbia at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, after they threatened to fight fellow passengers and BC Ferries' staff members who confronted them as they were not wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, while on a sailing from Swartz Bay. The men were later released from jail with conditions that they were not to attend any BC Ferries' property, pending a court appearance that December.

Spirit of Vancouver Island

On September 14, 2000, Spirit of Vancouver Island collided with the 9.72 m (31.9 ft) Star Ruby while attempting to overtake the vessel in a narrow channel. The collision occurred approximately 1 km (0.62 mi) from the Swartz Bay Terminal, from which the ferry had departed. Spirit of Vancouver Island struck Star Ruby on its port side, causing the pleasure craft to flip over and eventually right itself, though swamped and heavily damaged. According to the accident report, the pleasure craft ignored warning blasts from the approaching ferry and made a sharp turn towards the ferry just prior to impact. Both individuals aboard Star Ruby later died as a result of injuries sustained by the collision.

On July 21, 2003, Spirit of Vancouver Island collided with the dock at Swartz Bay. Four passengers suffered minor injuries. The accident caused tens of thousands of dollars of damage to the dock and the ship.

On October 9, 2009, a standby generator on Spirit of Vancouver Island caught fire on an early morning sailing out of Swartz Bay Terminal. No one was injured in the incident, but it caused major delays in the ferry system because of the already large volume of traffic for Thanksgiving weekend. Eight sailings were cancelled that day, and the ship remained out of service for the weekend.

On August 31, 2018, two crew members were injured during an early morning safety drill at Swartz Bay ferry terminal when the ship's davit malfunctioned, causing a rescue boat to flip, dropping the two occupants into the water. The coxswain fell about 14 metres (46 ft), but the bowman held on while the boat continued to descend, reducing the fall to about 2 metres (7 ft).

On April 18, 2020, at 4:26 p.m. (16:26 UTC), the vessel, travelling at an approximate speed of 5.4 knots, struck the concrete abutment on the wall of berth 3 at Tsawwassen ferry terminal. Although damage was minor, the offloading of vehicles on the upper car deck and foot passengers was delayed until 6:02 p.m. Passengers were required to disembark from the main car deck instead of the overhead walkway. Offloading of vehicles on the main car deck began at 8:58 p.m.

On April 2, 2021, Spirit of Vancouver Island was forced to turn around and return to Swartz Bay in the middle of a sailing to Tsawwassen after passenger caused a disturbance while being confronted by staff about him not wearing a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. RCMP officers met the ferry as it arrived at the dock, issued the passenger several tickets for violating COVID-19 restrictions, and transported him off-site. The passenger was also banned from riding the ferries for the rest of the day. The Spirit of Vancouver Island was left running 44 minutes behind schedule as result of the incident.

Coastal Celebration

On May 5, 2011, Coastal Celebration damaged the dock at Swartz Bay after the vessel reversed into it for roughly 6.1 to 10.7 metres (20 to 35 ft). An investigation found that this was due to an error on the bridge. No one was hurt in the incident. However, damage to Coastal Celebration and the berth at Swartz Bay cost CAN$470,000.

On November 4, 2015, while the ship was sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, a man launched one of Coastal Celebration's 100-person life rafts and jumped overboard. The man then swam to Galiano Island while the ferry recovered the life raft and launched rescue craft to recover the man. The man was later arrested on the island.

On December 17, 2018, the Coastal Celebration rescued a man from a sinking vessel near Moresby Passage in dark and stormy conditions. All remaining sailings from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay were cancelled that night.

Coastal Inspiration

On December 20, 2011, at 14:50 (21:50 UTC), Coastal Inspiration crashed into the Duke Point terminal, causing minor injuries to one passenger and crew member. The collision damaged the loading ramp, and foot passengers were held up for an hour before being unloaded; the vessel was rerouted to Departure Bay to unload its vehicle traffic. An electrical component failure in the propulsion control system was blamed for the crash. The ferry was taken out of service for repairs before resuming service on January 20, 2012. The damage caused the Duke Point terminal to be closed for five months, resulting in all services from Tsawwassen being rerouted into Departure Bay. The terminal reopened for service on May 1, 2012.

On August 25, 2022, the RCMP were called to meet Coastal Inspiration after it was forced to turn around and return to the Duke Point ferry terminal in the middle of a sailing to Tsawwassen, after two men travelling together caused a disturbance by acting strangely. Police arrested one of men for possible drug intoxication after finding him sleeping naked in a car parked facing the wrong direction, and launched a missing-persons case for other after it was determined by surveillance cameras that he had walked off the ferry and gotten into a waiting taxi, before police arrived. The man was found safe hours later and had his vehicle (which was towed off the ferry and impounded) returned to him, however the continuation of the ferry's sailing was also delayed until the early hours of the next morning, as a result.

Mill Bay

On May 29, 1989, Mill Bay ran aground near the Mill Bay dock.

Quinsam

On January 9, 2007, Quinsam was loading traffic from Nanaimo to Gabriola Island when it unexpectedly pulled out of its berth. A pickup truck on the boarding ramp plunged into the water below. Ferry workers were able to warn the truck's lone occupant, who was able to escape before the vehicle fell.

Facilities

Departure Bay ferry terminal

On August 13, 2014, suspected kidnapper David Rogerson was arrested on a ferry docked at the Departure Bay ferry terminal after BC Ferries' staff recognized him as the subject of a Canada-wide warrant during a sailing from Horseshoe Bay, and called police to inform them that Rogerson and his vehicle were on board the vessel.

On May 8, 2018, a police shooting occurred at the terminal after RCMP officers attempted to arrest a man wanted for perpetrating a violent carjacking in another part of the province. 6-8 shots were fired, and the man later died from his injuries.

Earls Cove ferry terminal

On September 20, 2020, an elderly woman collapsed in the morning ferry lineup at the terminal and went into respiratory failure, leading to cardiac arrest. A BC Ferries' employee initiated CPR and the local Fire Department and Ambulance service were called, and the woman's pulse was eventually restored. Once she began breathing on her own, she was airlifted to hospital from the parking lot.

Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal

On May 22, 2017, two passengers (a 47-year-old male and a 31-year-old female) were removed from the Queen of Cowichan by the West Vancouver Police Department, while it was docked at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. This occurred after the pair drove onto the ferry bound for Nanaimo, having bought cheaper tickets on the shorter Bowen Island route instead. Shortly thereafter, they aroused the suspicions of staff members when they refused to put out their cigarettes on the vehicle deck when asked, then verbally abused the staff members when they were asked to leave the vessel. Police were called to assist after the two subjects refused to disembark the ferry, however no further incident occurred.

On December 19, 2020, police were called to the terminal to assist with a man acting belligerently while refusing to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officers reportedly escorted the man off BC Ferries' property.

On October 13, 2021, the Canadian Coast Guard was dispatched after it was discovered that a female passenger in her 50's had ended up in the water by unknown means, after driving her vehicle on board the vessel at Departure Bay. The water was searched around both terminals, and the passenger was eventually recovered on the mainland side and taken to hospital for treatment and a mental health evaluation. The next sailing back to Nanaimo was delayed by an hour and 44 minutes as a result.

On January 14, 2023, a Tesla Model 3 suddenly accelerated before crashing into a gate blocking an empty berth at the terminal, and was effectively destroyed on impact. Both occupants of the vehicle were transported to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. The cause of the accident remains unknown.

Langdale ferry terminal

On May 26, 2023, a 36-year-old Surrey man was arrested at the Langdale ferry terminal by the RCMP for uttering threats after refusing to obey the directions of a BC Ferries staff member, driving his van aggressively, and boarding a ferry without permission. The man was banned from travelling with BC Ferries for 1 year.

Quathiaski Cove ferry terminal

On August 10, 2022, a man was asked to leave the terminal property by the RCMP after interfering with BC Ferries' staff by attempting to direct traffic in the parking lot himself. The man refused to stop when asked by the staff to do so, and as such police were called. The man was initially argumentative about being asked to leave, but eventually did so without further incident.

On October 9, 2022, a man who had been previously banned from travelling with BC Ferries for reasons unknown was spotted by staff while he attempted to board a ferry departing Quadra Island for Campbell River. The subject was allegedly wearing a disguise consisting of a wig, scarf, sunglasses, and a mask. The man apparently also used an odd, high-pitched accent that was either Australian or British, in efforts to conceal his true identity. BC Ferries called the RCMP upon recognizing the man, however he apparently fled on foot up a nearby trail before he could be apprehended, leaving his disguise behind as he ran. The officers stated that they plan to locate the man and issue him a $115 ticket for trespassing.

Swartz Bay ferry terminal

On May 20, 2011, 29-year-old James Davies crashed his pickup truck through the barricades on the Swartz Bay ferry terminal's loading ramp, and sped off the end of the platform. His vehicle crashed into water below, where his body was recovered from 35 feet of water, later that evening. Davies' death was ruled a suicide.

On October 10, 2023, a 16-year-old boy was arrested by the RCMP for setting a fire in a washroom on board a ferry docked at the terminal. The youth was released with a future court date.

On January 11, 2024, the RCMP arrested a man at the terminal for committing an indecent act, after he allegedly exposed himself on board an evening sailing from Tsawwassen. The man was released with a future court date and transported to a nearby shelter due to the extreme cold weather occurring at the time.

Tsawwassen ferry terminal

On May 29, 2019, a man stole a taxi at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal before nearly striking a Delta Police Department vehicle in a parking lot off the ferry causeway at high speed. The officer occupying the cruiser immediately called for backup and chased after the man when he exited the taxi and fled on foot. The officer had the man at gunpoint shortly thereafter, when the man pulled a knife. The officer ordered the man to drop the knife, and tased him three times after he failed to comply. Over the next 15 minutes, 9 officers responded, however the man then pulled a pipe from his backpack as well, and goaded the officers to shoot him. The officers fired no shots, and continued attempts to de-escalate the situation, using tasers and 40mm less-lethal launchers, however the man ultimately turned the knife on himself, stabbing himself in the neck. Attempts were made to save the man's life, however he soon after died from his injuries. A toxicology reported later revealed that the man had methamphetamine in his system at the time.

On November 4, 2020, police were called to the terminal after a man ran through traffic and into the ocean due to being denied boarding onto a ferry in the early hours of the morning. Officers took the man into custody for mental health reasons after he attempted to walk into traffic a second time, once they had coaxed him out of the water.

Police were again called to the terminal later that day after a woman caused a disturbance while refusing to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officers reportedly escorted the woman off-site, to another location. These two incidents left the Spirt of British Columbia running 49 minutes behind schedule.

Fleet Maintenance Facility

On June 12, 2020, BC Ferries worker Kulwant Singh Chohan fell into the Fraser River while on shift at the Fleet Maintenance Facility in Richmond, British Columbia, after attempting to retrieve a knee pad that had fallen into the water. Surveillance cameras later revealed that Chohan was leaning over a protective webbing panel, which broke away, leading to his fall. Police were called after Chohan's family showed up at the facility, stating that he had not returned home as scheduled. Police were immediately called and a land and marine search was conducted, however Chohan's body was recovered the next day, from five metres below the surface of the river. On October 21, 2022, The BC Coroner Service announced that Chohan's cause of death was accidental drowning, with heart disease as a contributing factor. WorkSafeBC fined BC Ferries $674,445 as a result of their investigation into the incident.

See also

• BC Ferries
• List of BC Ferries ships