An Alaska Marine Highway ferry rescued five people after a small boat capsized Friday morning near Bella Bella, B.C. in the Inside Passage.
The Bellingham-bound ferry responded to a distress call that a 26-foot boat was sinking near Humchitt Island about 200 miles south of Prince Rupert, B.C.
The ferry Kennicott dispatched its fast rescue boat, ferry officials said.
“The crew and master of the Kennicott did a very professional job in quickly assisting with the rescue,” Alaska Department of Transportation spokeswoman Meadow Bailey wrote in a statement. “All vessels and crews in our fleet drill for these types of situations as part of the AMHS’s strong safety program and safety culture.”
The partially submerged vessel’s captain remains missing, Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
“There were six people on board and all but the captain made it safely to shore on Humchitt Island,” RCMP Cpl. Madonna Saunderson wrote in a statement Monday.
The rescue delayed the ferry by about four hours, Bailey said. She added the Kennicott cut its time in port short to get back on schedule.
Jacob Resneck is CoastAlaska's regional news director in Juneau.
