Delta police are investigating after an 80-year-old man disappeared from a B.C. Ferries vessel on Thursday night.
B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said one vehicle failed to leave the car deck when the ferry unloaded in Tsawwassen about 10:30 p.m.
“We did a sweep of the vessel to look for any passengers,” Marshall said.
“We didn’t find anybody, so we contacted [the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria], as well as Delta police.”
It’s not known whether the man went overboard, walked off the ferry or left in another vehicle.
“At this time, there is no reason to believe the circumstances around his disappearance are suspicious,” said a statement from Delta police.
The man, thought to be from Vancouver Island, is described as white, five-foot-nine and 225 pounds with a heavy build. He has brown hair and brown eyes and was wearing a dark grey sweater and dark grey or black pants.
Delta police ask anyone who might have seen the man on the ferry or at the terminals to contact them at 604-946-4411.
Video provided by B.C. Ferries shows the male driver pulling onto the ferry at Swartz Bay, but there was no sign of him after that.
Police were able to identify the driver by the vehicle’s licence plate, Marshall said.
Search-and-rescue crews, including several Coast Guard vessels and two aircraft from 442 Squadron in Comox, swept the ferry’s route in case the man went overboard.
The search started about midnight and was extended to 8 a.m. to make use of daylight.
“We took the line the ferry went, taking into account the tide, the currents and the winds, and developed a search pattern of a likely area from Swartz Bay through Active Pass all the way to Tsawwassen,” said Capt. Stu Irvine.
Seas and wind were calm, but the initial search took place in the dark. Searchers on the ocean illuminated the water with lights, while air searchers used night-vision goggles.
At least a dozen vessels were directly involved.
Searchers were hoping to find the man, possibly a body, or at least a clue, be it a life-jacket, clothing or personal items, but nothing was found.
Last October, a woman survived several hours in the ocean after jumping from a B.C. Ferries vessel. She was rescued at 10:45 p.m., about five hours after going overboard. Searchers were stunned to find her alive.
In May 2013, a Porsche was abandoned on the Spirit of Vancouver Island. Police used the licence plate to track down the driver, who apparently couldn’t find the car and caught a bus home instead.
