North Vancouver graduates-to-be have a night to remember as party boat gets stuck in the mud

About 150 North Vancouver students who were celebrating their graduating year were stranded for hours on Friday night after their party boat ran aground in the Burrard Inlet.

The Sutherland Secondary School students say they were only about two hours into a three-hour cruise when they got stuck.

Cady Nelson-Quine, student body president, says students weren’t completely evacuated until after midnight.

“People were super tired. They were using the tablecloth as blankets so they could fall asleep on seats,” said Nelson-Quine.

The Pride of Vancouver catamaran vessel — operated by Spirit Cruises — was stuck in place near the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, on the Maplewood mudflats, according to officials.

CBC News reached out to Spirit Cruises for comment but did not hear back by deadline.

Stuck in the mud

In a post to social media, the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue said it was called in to help evacuate students and their chaperoning parents at 8:51 p.m., adding “the kids had a boat ride they likely won’t ever forget.”

Nelson-Quine said a “loud gurgle” was heard over the loud music, coming from the bottom of the vessel when the boat stopped, which tilted on an angle when stuck.

There was some confusion and fear among passengers, added Nelson-Quine, until the Coast Guard arrived about an hour later.

The event was PAC-funded and organized by parents. (Submitted by Sally Cullen)

But as time went on, Nelson-Quine said the unique experience brought students together, even sparking new friendships, while some other students were comforted by their peers.

All passengers were safely transported to Vancouver’s Harbour Green Park, where they were met by their parents and guardians, according to search and rescue.

The Coast Guard said in an email no water entered the vessel after it ran aground. It deployed the Siyay hovercraft and safely evacuated all passengers.

The vessel’s crew remained on board, the agency said, until the vessel could be refloated with the rising tide early Saturday morning and then berthed in Coal Harbour.

Cut short

To reach the hovercraft, students and chaperones descended a ladder and walked roughly 20 metres across a fully exposed sandbar, Nelson-Quine said, which was difficult for some students wearing heeled shoes.

“They had to take them off and walk across all these barnacles and some of them were carried across the ground because of how sharp it was.”

About 150 high school students and chaperoning parents were evacuated in two trips on a hovercraft. (Submitted by Cady Nelson-Quine)

But Catie Craven, graduating class president, said much of the cruise was spent eating, without a lot of time to dance and celebrate before it was cut short.

She said panic filled the room at first, and a lot of parents called the police after hearing the boat was tipped on an angle.

“It kind of just ruined the rest of the night for a lot of people,” said Craven. “Some people are really annoyed about it, some people are upset.”

Craven hopes another night of celebration will be arranged to make up for some lost time.

Organizers

Penny Gill, who attended the event as a parent chaperone, described the night as a “surreal experience.”

“Did that really happen?” she said.

She said she got to see kids form new bonds and strengthen their relationships during a night “these kids will have forever.”

Gill said she and another parent were among the last to be evacuated, and she didn’t get home until 1 a.m.

In a statement, the North Vancouver School District said the event was not a school-sanctioned event, rather it was hosted by parent organizers and the school had no involvement in the planning of it.

The district said it is grateful for authorities who responded to the emergency and safely evacuated all passengers to shore.