A Canadian ferry with more than 100 passengers and crew sank yesterday. But thanks to the crew members, everyone made it to lifeboats. And thanks to the tiny village of Hartley, they were rescued before the Coast Guard ship arrived.
The quick response from about 200 villagers in the fishing village of Hartley Bay, B.C., is being credited with assisting the amazing rescue of the passengers and crew aboard the ferry that sank off the Queen Charlotte Islands early yesterday.
“There may not have been survivors without them,” said Capt. Leah Bryne, spokesperson for the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria. “Their support has been tremendous.”
Most of the villagers were in bed at 1 a.m., but someone constantly monitors a marine radio for reports of missing boats in the area. When the word came that the Queen of the North was in trouble, residents, some dressed only in their shirtsleeves, charged into their boats and pushed off into the inky storm waters.
As it would turn out, rescuers had less than an hour before the ferry went down.
Well done, heroes of Hartley.
I haven’t listened to the news since this morning, Meryl, but as of then, there were 2 people still unaccounted for.
Regardless, the people Hartley Bay did a great job.
I’ve been following the story – I’m from BC – and as of CBC BC’s evening news, the two are still missing. There are conflicting accounts as to whether or not they actually got on the ferry in the first place, and some claim to have seen the couple after the rescue. Either way, the RCMP is investigating, and hasn’t been able to find them.
Good heavens – this tiny village rescues 100 people and the comments have mainly to do with 2 unaccounted for? What Scrooges – to mix a metaphor – why not a WOW! and a mention of tikkun olam, in the form of what appears to be 24-hour monitoring of the emergency radio (even though fishermen are not usually at sea at 1 AM), and the whole town turning out to help the people from the ship?
One of the news stories mentions that the previous week there were 450 on board rather than the 100 at the time of the sinking, and what would they have done then? But I’m betting they’d have done all they could, in spite of being outnumbered.
And now this fishing village has to contend with the oil slick from the sunk ship.
Iris, I cannot speak for Hugh, but I was only commenting to corrected the facts of the above post, nothing more than that. I do indeed think it’s amazing that everyone was rescued, and the small BC community showed its strengths and generosity.