BC Ferries Sued Over Ferry Sinking
A couple who were aboard the ill-fated Queen of the North last week has launched the first lawsuit against British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. Meanwhile, the man in charge of health and safety at BC Ferries has resigned, the Globe and Mail reported. In Vancouver, lawyer David Varty filed a statement of claim on March 28 with the B.C. Supreme Court on behalf of Maria and Alexander Kotais. The couple were aboard the Queen of the North and in the process of moving to Nanaimo, B.C., from Kitimat, on the north coast. The Kotais had moved their basic items already in a moving van, but were carrying their more precious valuables, like jewellery, family heirlooms, clothing and important documents, in their vehicle and the vehicle of a friend who was also on the Queen of the North.
Video Reveals Sunken B.C. Ferry
First video footage from a downed British Columbia ferry suggest the vessel apparently sank in a single piece but the whereabouts of two missing passengers remains a mystery. A three-hour mini sub dive located the Queen of the North intact in about 420 meters of water. The vessel was found resting on its keel. Silt covers the hull up to the rubbing strake — a horizontal piece of material on the outside of a ship used to prevent damage from rubbing up against a pier or dock — and above in some areas. There was no sign of the two missing passengers, a B.C. couple, Gerald Foisey and Shirley Rosette. The video footage has been reviewed by B.C. Ferries and the Transportation Safety Board — which is investigating the accident — as well as representatives of Transport Canada and the RCMP.
Mini-submarine to Seek Sunken B.C Ferry
Officials prepared a mini-submarine on March 25 that will be used to inspect the wreck of the Queen of the North as the search continues for two people missing since the ferry sank. The ship usually turned as it passed a lighthouse on the rocky shore. It apparently missed the turn in the dark and ran up onto the rocks. The collision ripped out the botom out of the ship, flooding crew sleeping quarters in the forecastle. Two crew members were trapped in their cabins with water up to their waists as their shipmates smashed open the doors to let them out. Officials with BC Ferries which operated the Queen of the North say it could take up to a week for the diving vessel to look over the ferry. It capsized early on March 22 after veering off course and hitting a rock.
