'Just like the Titanic': Documentary on deadly BC Ferries sinking on YouTube | Daily Hive

'Just like the Titanic': Documentary on deadly BC Ferries sinking now on YouTube

Animation of the sinking of BC Ferries' Queen of the North. (Disaster at Sea)

A high-profile episode of the Smithsonian Channel documentary series Disasters at Sea, chronicling the 2006 sinking of the BC Ferries vessel Queen of the North, is now available to watch for free on YouTube.

The high-quality, big-budget production, part of the internationally distributed investigative series produced by Discovery Channel Canada and the U.S.-based Smithsonian Channel, examines the tragic final voyage of the ship, which struck Gil Island in British Columbia’s Inside Passage and sank in the early hours of March 22, 2006. Two passengers were never found and are presumed dead.

This 46-minute episode first aired on television in 2019, and it was subsequently made available on various streaming platforms. As of earlier this summer, it was uploaded online onto Disasters at Sea’s official YouTube channel for free viewing.

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It interviewed BC Ferries leadership, investigators, passengers, crew, including the captain, as well as the family members of victims and the rescuers.

The ship was in the early leg of its sailing on the 18-hour-long route between Prince Rupert near the northernmost extent of B.C.’s coastline and Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. This is one of BC Ferries’ two long-haul routes, and the Queen of the North was one of the fleet’s several overnight vessels featuring sleeping cabins.

Animation of the sinking of BC Ferries’ Queen of the North. (Disaster at Sea)

On the night of the sinking, the ship was making a southbound trip from Prince Rupert, carrying 101 passengers and crew and 16 vehicles — far below its maximum capacity of 700 people, plus 115 vehicles.

Two crew members were on the bridge for the night watch when the ship’s hull hit rocky areas in shallow waters next to Gil Island. The investigation determined that the two individuals had failed to make a slight course adjustment, with the ship continuing to sail straight on the wrong course for 14 minutes over a distance of more than 7 km. Travelling at its top speed of 17.5 knots (32 km/h), the ship struck the rock, which tore through the hull and caused it to rapidly take on water.

During the investigation, there were allegations that the two crew members on the bridge may have been distracted due to an extramarital affair they were engaged in, but this was never proven. Investigators ultimately determined that the individuals were simply not properly paying attention to where the ship was going. They were later also terminated from the ferry corporation for not cooperating fully with investigators.

After hitting rocks in shallow waters, the Queen of the North rapidly took in water and continued to drift for some distance. Just before 1 a.m., it sank in Wright Sound to a depth of 1,401 ft. (427 metres).

Animation of the sinking of BC Ferries’ Queen of the North. (Disaster at Sea)

Survivors watching from the lifeboats described the ship sinking “just like the Titanic,” upright with its bow pointing toward the sky. As it slipped beneath the surface in its final moments, the windows blew out, sending water spraying outward.

The documentary noted that the crew made comprehensive efforts to check all cabins and passenger areas and conducted a head count. After several inconsistent tallies, it was ultimately determined — once survivors were rescued and brought ashore — that 99 passengers and crew had been evacuated; two passengers, Shirley Rosette and Gerald Foisy, both from 100 Mile House, never made it to the lifeboats.

The nearest Canadian Coast Guard vessel was an hour and a half away from the scene. Members of the nearby Gitga’at First Nation were credited for their swift response to the mayday calls, launching fishing vessels to assist in the rescue. They were only about 20 minutes away from their community of Hartley Bay.

This First Nation village of about 200 people cared for the survivors, providing clothing, food, and shelter. Residents even laid out their cell phones on a table so survivors could call their families to let them know they were safe. For their efforts, the community was awarded the Governor General’s Commendation for Outstanding Service.

Map of BC Ferries’ routes on the northern coast of B.C., including Route 10 between Port Hardy on Vancouver Island and Prince Rupert. (BC Ferries)

bc ferries queen of the north ship sinking location

Final location of BC Ferries’ Queen of the North following its sinking. (Google Maps)

In the aftermath, the disaster prompted sweeping reforms across BC Ferries’ operations, including a requirement to have three crew on the bridge at all times — two officers and one lookout — along with new procedures for counting and recording passengers and crew, the installation of voyage data recorders on every vessel, and the implementation of various recommendations from the federal Transportation Safety Board’s final report.

This was the most serious incident in the history of BC Ferries — and the only one in its history to result in the sinking of a vessel.

The Queen of the North was originally built in 1969 for its use in Scandinavian countries, before being acquired by BC Ferries in 1974 to operate on the long-haul routes. The vessel measured 410 ft. (125 metres) in length and 65 ft. (20 metres) in width, and had a gross tonnage of 8,806 GT. It had about 50 sleeping cabins, as well as amenities such as a buffet, bar, and various lounges.

At the time of the sinking, the vessel was just a few years away from a planned replacement.

BC Ferries’ Queen of the North ship, 1981. (BC Archives)

BC Ferries’ Queen of the North ship, 1980. (BC Archives)

BC Ferries’ Queen of the North ship, 1978. (BC Archives)

Just a few months after the sinking, BC Ferries acquired a similarly-sized, 2001-built passenger and vehicle ferry vessel — previously operating on routes in the Caribbean and Europe — as the interim full-time replacement for the Queen of the North. The vessel underwent a major refit and was renamed the Northern Adventure before it was launched into service for BC Ferries’ use in April 2007.

The long-haul route between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert is also served by the purpose-built Northern Expedition, which went into service in 2009 to replace an aging vessel. BC Ferries awarded the contract to build the Northern Expedition a few weeks after the sinking.

Watch the full 46-minute “Disasters at Sea” documentary on the sinking of BC Ferries’ Queen of the North:

Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s animated recount of the sinking of BC Ferries’ Queen of the North:

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