Passenger treated for injuries after Harbour Cruise ferry runs aground near Vancouver

CBC

a day ago

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One person injured after a ferry boat hit rocks in the water just off the coast of West Vancouver late Sunday morning had to be treated by medical services.
The Harbour Princess, operated by Harbour Cruises Ltd., struck rocks east of Point Atkinson near Lighthouse Park just before noon, prompting a mayday call, according to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria.
In a statement to CBC News, Capt. Pedram Mohyeddin with the rescue centre said a Canadian Coast Guard aircraft and three coast guard boats were dispatched to the scene, along with the Vancouver Police Department's marine unit and many civilian boats that answered the mayday.
The JRCC says one injured person was airlifted to B.C. Emergency Health Services by hovercraft before being transferred to the care of the B.C. Ambulance Service. The cause of the incident is not yet known.
CBC News has reached out to B.C. Emergency Health Services on the extent of the passenger's injury.
In a separate statement, Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) Station 1 in West Vancouver said the vessel had 58 people on board when it ran aground.
RCMSAR says search and rescue technicians boarded the vessel to assess both the injured passengers and the vessel's condition. They determined it was safest to keep uninjured passengers aboard and escort the ship back to Coal Harbour.
Shane Austin, spokesperson for RCMSAR Station 1, said the incident had the "makings of a very difficult situation" and commended all units that came to assist.
Harbour Cruises Ltd. has not yet responded to a request for comment. The company's website says the vessel has a capacity of 180 passengers.