Ferry collides with sailboat in San Juans; sailboat sinks
Washington state ferry Hyak (Photo: Wikimedia)
SAN JUAN ISLANDS, Wash. -- Washington state ferry Hyak collided with a 27-foot sailboat in the waters between Shaw and Orcas islands Friday afternoon and the sailboat sank, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The operator of the sailboat was picked up by another recreational sailboat before the Coast Guard got to the scene, a Coast Guard spokesman said. The sailboat sank in about 250 feet of water, the spokesman said.
There were no reports of injuries. Marta Coursey, a spokeswoman for Washington State Ferries, told The Seattle Times that all passengers from both vessels were safe.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m. and Coursey said there were reports of heavy fog in the area, Coursey told the Times. She said it was unclear at this point what exactly happened. Coursey said the ferry’s captain and crew would be subject to drug testing.