Passengers aboard a Marine Atlantic ferry Thursday were not warned that the ship was headed for a collision, a truck driver says.
Investigators are probing what went wrong aboard the MV Leif Ericson, which struck a barrier at Port aux Basques, on Newfoundland's southwest coast, soon after losing engine power.
The Leif Ericson will remain docked at Port aux Basques until an investigation into Thursday's collision is complete.
(Courtesy Goldie Hardy)
Truck driver Mike Wells was eating breakfast as the Leif Ericson — which encountered two separate engine problems this summer — approached port.
"It was dark outdoors [and then] the boat just went black inside," said Wells.
"There was no warning, no announcement or anything, but I don't think there was time to give an announcement because everything was so quick."
Emergency power kicked in, but the crew was not able to restart the engines for several minutes.
The ferry's bow hit a concrete structure at the harbour's edge.
Roger Flood, chief executive officer of Marine Atlantic, said the crew prevented a collision that could have been much worse.
Roger Flood, CEO of Marine Atlantic, credited the Leif Ericson crew for preventing what could have been a worse collision.
(CBC)
"The timing was very crucial," Flood told CBC News.
"You're in a very narrow part of the harbour and if you lose your power for any reason for a minute or two, you have a problem."
The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident. Divers are assisting the probe. Marine Atlantic, a federal Crown corporation, is also conducting its own investigation.
The ferry — which held 194 passengers and 64 crew at the time of the collision — has been pulled off the Gulf of St. Lawrence crossing connecting Newfoundland with Nova Scotia.
Another ferry, the Atlantic Freighter, has been brought temporarily into the run between Port aux Basques and North Sydney.
Meanwhile, Wells said the power failure proves that the Leif Ericson is not reliable. He said the ferry should be taken off the Gulf run during the dangerous winter season.
The Leif Ericson will remain in Port aux Basques until the investigation is completed.
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