A passenger vessel known for cruises around the waters of Vancouver ended up in a precarious situation Sunday with passengers on board.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria says it learned the MV Harbour Princess ran aground off West Vancouver late Sunday morning.
The MV Harbour Princess belongs to Harbour Cruises, a local cruise ship and marine operator.
The boat hit rocks east of Point Atkinson near Lighthouse Park, with the marine rescue coordination centre notified of the crash around 11:30 a.m.
“We were having lunch and all of a sudden, ‘boom’ we hear and we crashed,” said one passenger.
It is unclear how many passengers were on board the vessel, which touts a capacity of up to 275 guests.
“It was a very abrupt stop, a lot of broken glass,” said another.
Rescue at sea performed by Canadian and U.S. crews
A large response followed, including a hovercraft from the JRCC, multiple Coast Guard boats, the Vancouver Police Department’s marine unit, and several civilian vessels.
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Passengers remained on board while the vessel was freed from the rocks. It then made its way back to port in Coal Harbour with help from a hovercraft.
“We received orders to go to the lower deck, put our life jackets on, and [there was] no problem. We were saved.”
After coming ashore, passengers told Global News that even though the vessel did not take on water, it was a scary experience.
“When I felt it, I knew we ran aground,” said Michael.
“With all the glass breaking and stuff, and that poor baby crying, that was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
B.C. Emergency Health Services reported one patient was transported to hospital in stable condition.
Global News reached out to the company for more information on why the boat ran off course, but they declined to comment at this time.
