B.C. Ferries sailings from Swartz Bay to Vancouver faced cascading delays on Saturday after the 1 p.m. sailing was held in dock for close to an hour so that first responders could take care of six passengers who became ill on board.
Paramedics and RCMP went on board to respond to the situation.
B.C. Ferries posted about the delay at 1:07 p.m., saying that the vessel was holding in dock due to a medical emergency.
Spokesperson Ritinder Matthew said it’s unclear why the six people, who were found vomiting in a stairwell, were unwell.
Matthew said two passengers were transported to hospital while the other passengers received care on board.
Spirit of British Columbia had to be cleaned before it resumed service, which caused the delay, Matthew said.
B.C. Emergency Health Services received the call for help at 12:10 p.m. and dispatched three ambulances to the ship at Swartz Bay terminal. Emergency medical treatment was required for the two patients who were transported to hospital, said spokesperson Jodi Gillich in a statement.
