Grad Cruise Catamaran Runs Aground Near Vancouver, 150 Rescued

More than 150 people were rescued after a grad cruise vessel ran aground off Metro Vancouver on Friday night, authorities say. North Vancouver RCMP said it was notified around 8:25 p.m. that a boat carrying a mix of youths and chaperones had struck a sandbar in the Burrard Inlet. The Department of National Defence identified the vessel as the catamaran Pride of Vancouver, noting it was moving slowly when the grounding occurred near Maplewood Flats, east of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. A Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft, Siyay, from CCG Station Sea Island was dispatched and safely evacuated all passengers while the crew remained on board, according to department spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin. She said there was no water ingress into the vessel and no reports of pollution at the time. Police said no one was injured and there were no signs of impairment among those on board. The Pride of Vancouver refloated with the rising tide on Saturday morning and proceeded to Coal Harbour to make berth, Poulin said. The incident is under review, and further details on the cause of the grounding have not been released. The company that operates the vessel has not yet provided additional information.