Your Island News for Wednesday, October 7

Good evening.

Thanks very much for joining us tonight.

We begin with a complaint against B.C. Ferries and a man from the Caribou who says he and 30 other passengers were stranded in Bella Bella after the northern sea wolf broke down.

David Radcliffe says he had to spend seven nights in expensive lodging and pay for food every day.

But the B.C. Ferries isn't paying him back.

Dean Stoltz picks up the story.

An August fishing trip to Bella Bella turned far more expensive than it should have after the return trip on the northern seawolf was cancelled.

And everybody, as of the 21st, which is when we were scheduled to sail back... uh, was left stranded.

David Radcliffe and a friend had taken his fishing boat and trailer on the Northern Seawolf at Bella Coola for the trip to Bella Bella.

After a few days of fishing and a day before he was supposed to leave, he received an email from BC ferries saying the return trip was canceled due to a problem with the vessel's shaft seal.

There we sat with my boat on the trailer.

Um, hoping to find a place to stay.

They ended up staying at a cabin for $300 a night while some of the other 30 stranded people even slept on the beach, he says.

The costs of lodging and food piled up while there was limited contact from BC Ferries.

Several days later, a water taxi and a barge for vehicles was set up for an extra fee of about $250.

And I thought, geez.

That's quite a business model.

You take people and strand them in the middle of nowhere.

And then come up with another service and charge them to get

back again.

He says the extra days in total cost over $3,600 and started a claim with BC Ferries to get it back.

He had some receipts and visa statements for most of it, but the ferry corp said that wasn't good enough and rejected the claim.

I really, really feel

like BC Ferries has made it out to be our fault.

In a statement to Check News, BC Ferry says it is aware of the matter and has been in contact with the customer since the service disruption occurred in August.

Good evening.

Thanks very much for joining us tonight.

We begin with a complaint against B.C. Ferries and a man from the Caribou who says he and 30 other passengers were stranded in Bella Bella after the northern sea wolf broke down.

David Radcliffe says he had to spend seven nights in expensive lodging and pay for food every day.

But the B.C. Ferries isn't paying him back.

Dean Stoltz picks up the story.

An August fishing trip to Bella Bella turned far more expensive than it should have after the return trip on the northern seawolf was cancelled.

And everybody, as of the 21st, which is when we were scheduled to sail back... uh, was left stranded.

David Radcliffe and a friend had taken his fishing boat and trailer on the Northern Seawolf at Bella Coola for the trip to Bella Bella.

After a few days of fishing and a day before he was supposed to leave, he received an email from BC ferries saying the return trip was canceled due to a problem with the vessel's shaft seal.

There we sat with my boat on the trailer.

Um, hoping to find a place to stay.

They ended up staying at a cabin for $300 a night while some of the other 30 stranded people even slept on the beach, he says.

The costs of lodging and food piled up while there was limited contact from BC Ferries.

Several days later, a water taxi and a barge for vehicles was set up for an extra fee of about $250.

And I thought, geez.

That's quite a business model.

You take people and strand them in the middle of nowhere.

And then come up with another service and charge them to get

back again.

He says the extra days in total cost over $3,600 and started a claim with BC Ferries to get it back.

He had some receipts and visa statements for most of it, but the ferry corp said that wasn't good enough and rejected the claim.

I really, really feel

like BC Ferries has made it out to be our fault.

In a statement to Check News, BC Ferry says it is aware of the matter and has been in contact with the customer since the service disruption occurred in August.