Search underway for man seen entering the water off a B.C. ferry

The BC Ferries vessel Spirit of Vancouver Island leaves Tsawwassen, B.C., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)

NANAIMO — Police in Nanaimo, B.C., say they’re investigating the disappearance of a man believed to have gone overboard into the Strait of Georgia during a ferry sailing.

A statement from the RCMP says the man hasn’t been seen since leaving his home Monday, and a missing-person report prompted police to start a search.

The Mounties say a vehicle belonging to the unnamed man was found that night aboard a BC Ferries vessel at the Tsawwassen terminal.

They say a review of video on board the ship “showed a person matching the missing individual’s description entering the water while the vessel was underway.”

A search by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre and RCMP West Coast Marine Services is ongoing, while Nanaimo RCMP say they’re also working with the Gabriola detachment, BC Ferries and the Delta Police Department, among others.

Police say the man’s family has been informed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2026.