All marine traffic in and out of the bay on Sunday was halted while police responded to a person in distress, who was eventually apprehended under the Mental Health Act.
Ferry travellers faced hours-long delays for multiple sailings on Sunday after police closed Horseshoe Bay terminal while responding to an incident involving what West Vancouver police called a “person in distress.”
The individual was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and transported to hospital for assessment, police said.
All marine traffic in and out of the bay was stopped while police responded to the incident, which began just before noon.
A video provided by a witness shows a person standing on an orange lifeboat at the top of the Queen of Surrey, which had been set to travel to Langdale but was forced to hold in place at the Horseshoe Bay terminal.
The Vancouver Police Department Emergency Response Team and Marine Unit also responded, along with ambulance paramedics and the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 1.
In a statement, B.C. Ferries said 22 sailings were affected, and customers who had reservations were notified and given refunds.
Customers with Sunday reservations who still wanted to travel were also accommodated, the statement said.
“Throughout the day, our focus was on supporting customers while they waited,” said B.C. Ferries, which said it offered complimentary refreshments on board vessels, and water for customers at the Horseshoe Bay terminal.
Extra staff was brought in to help manage traffic and assist customers as the situation unfolded, the statement said.
After the all-clear was given, the Queen of Surrey operated in shuttle mode between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale.
“We know this was a long and frustrating day for customers, with sailings impacted for several hours and significant delays across the system,” B.C. Ferries said. “We appreciate the patience shown by customers yesterday.”