A hard landing by a BC Ferry led to damage to the vessel but no injuries at Tsawwassen terminal around 4:30 p.m Saturday.
In a statement, spokesperson Deborah Marshall said the Spirit of Vancouver Island “made contact with the berth” when it docked. Photos on social media show damage to the edge of the ship.
“Fortunately there were no injuries to any passengers or crew, however the ship did sustain some damage,” the statement said. Marshall did not say what caused the hard landing.
The hard landing did lead to a cancellation of the 5 p.m. sailing between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay, but BC Ferries added a 9 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen and a 11 p.m. one from Swartz Bay. Sunday sailings are unaffected.
On social media, many complained about a lack of updates.
“Can I please get eta [sic] or update of the issue. Did the hydraulics brake on the ramp? It’s been an hour,” Aaron Pateman asked.
In the statement, BC Ferries said the upper vehicle deck was not unloaded until 8:30 p.m., four hours after the initial incident as a temporary repair was needed to safely unload those vehicles. Foot passengers and main deck cars were unloaded beforehand.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers who were affected by this incident,” the statement said, noting that water and juice were handed out to waiting passengers. Food services aboard BC Ferries are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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