Friday night, at approximately 9:45 p.m., the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre requested assistance from BC Ferries’ MV Quinitsa with a search and rescue operation for a kayaker in the water off Vancouver Island.
The ferry’s rescue boat was launched at 9:50 p.m. and the crew rescued the female kayaker from the water approximately one nautical mile north of the Buckley Bay terminal. The woman was transferred to RCMP and an ambulance on shore. The rescue boat crew also towed the kayak to shore for retrieval.
The JRCC contacted BC Ferries’ Operations and Security Centre later in the evening and credited the crew with saving the individual’s life.
“Our crew demonstrated their professionalism and their commitment to safety by performing this rescue,” said Deborah Marshall, BC Ferries executive director of public affairs. “We are very proud of their actions and events like this one show that all of their training and the drills they routinely conduct are invaluable out on the water.”
At the time the ship was called by JRCC, the ferry was docked at Denman Island, unloading passengers and vehicles, and getting ready to tie-up for the night.
The MV Quinitsa operates on the Buckley Bay – Denman Island route.