BC Ferries doesn’t usually do sequels, but the first week of September 2025 staged a back-to-back drama that had passengers clutching their Tim Hortons cups a little tighter. On September 3, a passenger went overboard from the Spirit of British Columbia as the vessel neared the Tsawwassen ferry terminal after departing Swartz Bay. They were rescued by BC Ferries crew using a rescue boat and assisted by a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft.
Then, on September 5, another passenger fell overboard, this time from the Spirit of British Columbia near Active Pass during the 5 p.m. sailing from Swartz Bay. A mayday was called, and helicopters, hovercraft, and nearby boats converged. Ultimately, it was a civilian vessel that reached the person first, pulling them from the water about five minutes after the mayday call.
BC Ferries described it as “highly unusual” to have two overboard cases in as many days. Union president Eric McNeely confirmed that the first incident, on September 3, stemmed from someone trying to retrieve an item of clothing, and praised the crews for their flawless response.
Still, perspective matters: BC Ferries runs more than 170,000 sailings a year, carrying over 20 million passengers. Almost all manage to stay onboard, two overboards in two days? A rarity that even seasoned crews do a double-take over.
Meanwhile, back on land in Prince George, a different kind of headline unfolded. On September 5, at about 9 a.m., RCMP officers stopped Kasper Lincoln after spotting him driving down 15th Avenue in a battery-powered, child-size pink Power Wheels Barbie Jeep Wrangler. He’d borrowed it from his roommate’s daughter to fetch a Slurpee, because, as he told Global News, he “didn’t want to walk.”
The ride, which topped out at roughly 3 km/h, turned out to fall under the Motor Vehicle Act when used on public roads, meaning you need a license and insurance, even in a toy. Worse, Lincoln failed two breathalyzer tests. He was given a 90-day driving prohibition and charged with prohibited driving, earning a Slurpee run he won’t soon forget.
