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.