Update
Search crews searched for hours Friday night but failed to find anyone after a B.C. Ferries passenger reported seeing a hand gripping a log in the Strait of Georgia.
The Queen of Oak Bay was halfway through the 3 p.m. sailing to Departure Bay from Horseshoe Bay when a passenger told staff they thought they saw a hand holding onto a log among some kelp.
A Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft from Sea Island responded, along with marine search-and-rescue volunteers from Nanaimo and a Cormorant helicopter from CFB Comox.
Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre stood down when nothing was found.
Original story
A large search was underway in the Strait of Georgia after a B.C. Ferries passenger thought they spotted a hand gripping a log in the water on Friday afternoon.
The Queen of Oak Bay was about midway through the 3 p.m. sailing to Departure Bay from Horseshoe Bay when a passenger told staff they had seen a hand holding onto a log among some kelp, said Dylan Carter, a maritime search-and-rescue co-ordinator with the Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
Ferry crew deployed life rings and searched the waters.
A Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft from Sea Island also responded, along with Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue members from Nanaimo and a Cormorant helicopter from CFB Comox.
The ferry continued on its way about 6 p.m., after a 90-minute delay.
“We don’t really know how much credence to give that initial report,” Carter said.
“We’re going to cover off the area as best as possible. We treat everything seriously until we find out otherwise.”
