Island Quest tour boat being patched up after accident

A popular St. Andrews whale watching vessel is on shore today after a weekend accident. The Island Quest was loaded with tourists when it started taking on water after striking a rock near White Island onSunday.

The ship diverted to Deer Island where passengers were safely removed. The boat is now undergoing repairs at Back Bay and awaiting an inspection by Transport Canada - which is scheduled to take place Friday. The owners are not commenting on the incident.

According to RCMPCorporal Brent Allaby, the emergency call came in shortly after noon on Sunday.

"We attended to Deer Island where we learned that a whale watching boat out of St. Andrews had struck an object, taken on some water and had gone into the Lord's Cove Wharf on Deer Island with the passengers," said Allaby.

"All passengers managed to exit the boat safely. The boat did not sink."

John Dolan is DeerIsland's Fire Chief. He says his volunteers grabbed pumps in their own trucks and headed for the wharf.

"We got down there, they were already in and unloaded. She had a fair amount of water on board," said Dolan.

"They pumped it out. But we had to stay there for a while because it was leaking so bad. Around supper time they plugged the hole with a canvas."

Dolan says the partial patch allowed the vessel to be transferred to nearby Leonardville Wharf where it could be put in a cradle. After a second patch was made the Island Quest was moved to the mainland, where it now sits.

Although an initial police report said 40 passengers and crew were on board at the time of the accident, the company, Island Quest Marine, later contacted RCMP to say that wasn't the correct total. The RCMP were unable to provide the true number.