A woman who jumped from a B.C. ferry was found clinging to a life ring after spending five hours in the water.
The woman, who is in her 40s, jumped from the Queen of Cowichan at about 5:45 p.m. Monday, halfway through the voyage from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay, said spokeswoman Deborah Marshall.
The Queen of Cowichan and Queen of Oak Bay launched rescue boats and passengers moved to the upper deck to scan the waters.
Several Canadian Coast Guard vessels and a search and rescue Cormorant helicopter arrived to help with the search, which became more difficult as night fell.
The woman was found about 10:45 p.m. inside a life ring that had been thrown from one of the ferries, said Stuart Irving, an air controller at the Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
鈥淪earch vessels had gone by the life ring several times and there was nobody there,鈥� Irving said. It appears the life ring drifted by her and she grabbed on, he said.
The woman was taken to the Sea Island hovercraft base near the 麻豆传媒映画International Airport and transported to hospital by B.C. Ambulance paramedics.
Irving said that there were some questions about the woman鈥檚 mental state.
