Children rescued after fire on B.C. school ferry
CTV
No injuries have been reported after an engine fire broke out on a school boat in B.C. waters on Thursday morning.
The ferry, called the Graduate, was in Active Pass taking students and staff from Galiano Island and Mayne Island to Pender Island and Salt Spring Island when it suffered mechanical issues, according to the Gulf Islands School District (SD64).
The fire was reported around 7:30 a.m., according to Lt-Cdr. Tony Wright with Maritime Forces Pacific.
A Canadian Coast Guard team stationed in Ganges, on Salt Spring Island, responded to the emergency, as well as a BC Ferries vessel, the Coastal Renaissance.
Wright says 33 people were aboard the vessel at the time of the fire, and all passengers were transferred to another boat called the Scholar.
SD64 secretary treasurer Jesse Guy says students onboard the vessel were in Grades 6 – 12.
"We share the concern of family and community," said Guy on Thursday morning. "We have reached out to impacted families and will continue to do so."
She adds that students were met by district staff when they came ashore, and have been offered counselling supports at their schools.
"We have been assured by Gulf Island Water Taxi, the contract holder of our district's student water transportation, that all safety procedures were followed during the incident," said Guy.
