Toronto Island ferry passenger concerned about safety

A Toronto Island ferry passenger says he's concerned about safety after being recently locked on a boat with other passengers.

Robert Bernecky said he was on a ferry Sunday when he got stuck behind a locked gate. A padlock hadbeen placed there, preventing passengers and crew from easily escaping.

Bernecky took a video of the jubilant passengers when crews arrived to rescue them.

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"What if the boat was on fire?"Berneckyasked. "What if there's a maniac with a weapon? What's going to happen? How are they going to get off? They can't get off."

Luckilyfor Bernecky and other passengers, a ferry crew was there to take a power saw to the padlock. The gate that was locked was the only way for passengers to get on to Ward's Island.

"I wish I knew what the gates were there to protect people from or protect the ferry from," Ceilidh Tritestold CBC News."It just doesn't seem like it's achieving anything."

The city says the lock was recently replaced and the new key was mistakenly taken home by a staff member.

New measures have since been put in place to make sure it doesn't happen again, said City of Toronto spokeswoman Karen Fulcher in an email to CBC News.

Fulcher added the ferry system is safe.

"All boats are equipped to address emergencies whether the boats are in the waterway or at the dock," she said.

For Bernecky, it's imperative that the gate remain unlocked considering the lack of options in case of an emergency.

"Passenger lives ... and the crew members' lives are in peril," he said.