The crew of the Kwuna went into full rescue mode Saturday (Sept. 9) to save the life of a labrador retriever puppy which fell overboard.
The incident happened in the early afternoon as the Kwuna made its regular run from Skidegate to Alliford Bay, said BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall.
The car deck was full, and the passengers included a little lab puppy, who was near the forward ramp. The owner called the pup, and it unexpectedly dashed over the rear ramp and plunged into the cold water of Skidegate Inlet.
The crew stopped the ship as soon as they realized what had happened, Ms Marshall said. The first mate, deck hand and engineer put on their rescue suits and safety harnesses, lowered the rear ramp, and coaxed the frantically swimming puppy near enough so they could scoop it up to safety.
"The passengers were cheering," Ms Marshall said.
The Kwuna was a few minutes late arriving at Alliford Bay as a result of the rescue, but the puppy was fine, although a bit wet.