A crab-fishing boat ran hard aground on Rose Spit this morning.
All four people on board the boat, the Prince Rupert-based Carmanah Light, managed to get to the beach safely wearing survival suits. No injuries have been reported.
Search-and rescue volunteers with Archipelago SAR drove to Rose Spit and picked up the stranded crew.
Masset Marine Rescue, BC Parks, DFO, Haida Fisheries and the Canadian Coast Guard are also responding on land and water. Masset Mayor Andrew Merilees, also a volunteer with Archipelago SAR, was the first on scene.
People on a nearby boat reported seeing the 14-metre, diesel-powered Carmanah Light hard aground with swell washing over it just after 8 a.m. When they arrived on scene later this morning, responders said the boat was taking on water through an open door.
The owner of the boat, who is listed in Vancouver, is now working with an insurance company to recover the Carmanah Light. The regional environmental response team of the Canadian Coast Guard has also been alerted to the grounding.
A crab fishery is set to open in McIntyre Bay tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 1, so several boats are arriving to anchor and set gear.