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4w ago

BC Ferries Reports Two Overboard Rescues on Consecutive Days

BC Ferries calls the back-to-back incidents rare.

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BC Ferries' Spirit of British Columbia. A person fell overboard from the ferry on Thursday afternoon.
A B.C. Ferries crew member is being lowered into the water as part of a rescue mission after a passenger went overboard during a Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay sailing on Sept. 3, 2025.
A zodiac could be seen searching the water for a person who went overboard during a Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay sailing on Sept. 3, 2025.

Overview

  • On Sept. 4, the 5 p.m. Spirit of British Columbia sailing from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen halted after a passenger went overboard, with crew recovering the person and transferring them to a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft.
  • The previous day, the 1 p.m. Spirit of Vancouver Island sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay stopped shortly after departure, and crew in a rescue boat located the person, who was brought back to Tsawwassen and handed to BC Emergency Health Services.
  • BC Ferries said the Sept. 3 passenger was believed to be in stable condition, and service notices indicated roughly an hour’s delay for that sailing after the rescue effort.
  • An eyewitness on the Sept. 3 crossing described a rapid response, estimating the recovery took roughly 20 to 30 minutes, while other accounts put the timeline closer to 10 minutes from boat deployment.
  • The company highlighted Transport Canada–mandated safety training and warned that intentionally going overboard or throwing items into the water is dangerous and may trigger travel restrictions, fines, or legal action.