Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Ferry's fate was sealed quickly

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 01/31/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

VANCOUVER -- The first moment anyone from the outside world knew something was amiss on the Queen of the North passenger ferry, crippled and taking on water off the northern coast of British Columbia, came at roughly 22 minutes past midnight on a windy March night seven years ago.

"Traffic: This is Queen of the North, Queen of the North, Queen of the North," the ship's second officer, Kevin Hilton, called into his marine radio.

"Traffic, traffic: We have run aground south of Sainty Point, several miles south of Sainty Point. Stand by for position."

The ship had just struck Gil Island. About 20 minutes before that, the vessel missed a crucial turn as it sailed down B.C.'s Inside Passage with 101 people on board.

Audio recordings of what happened next were played Wednesday at the criminal negligence trial of Karl Lilgert, who was fourth officer on the ship. Lilgert is charged in connection to the deaths of two passengers, who haven't been seen since the ferry sank on March 22, 2006.

The recordings suggest there was no sign of trouble, at least none reported to marine operators, as the ship sailed on a collision course toward Gil Island.

They also show how fast the situation turned catastrophic: Within minutes, the ship was listing to one side, passengers were being herded onto lifeboats and nearby fishing vessels were summoned to the area to help.

The trial has heard Lilgert was alone on the bridge with quartermaster Karen Bricker, his former lover, at the time of the collision. The audio recordings suggest the accident wasn't reported on the radio until Hilton returned to the bridge.

In the minute or so that followed, a marine officer in Prince Rupert, where the ship had departed from four hours earlier, struggled to pin down the ship's position. Within two minutes, the ferry was asking for help,

"We require assistance," said a crew member on the ship, identified in a court transcript as Janice O'Neill.

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 31, 2013 A13

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.