Sourced from 3 news outlets · most facts from statements · no points in dispute. How we sourced this
About 150 Sutherland Secondary School Grade 12 students and parent chaperones were aboard the Pride of Vancouver on Oct. 23 when the catamaran ran aground near the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and became stuck on the Maplewood mudflats. No injuries were reported.
Key facts
- Spirit Cruises said the vessel’s emergency engine shut-off was tampered with, with the protective cage removed and the shut-off activated, stopping the engine while the Pride of Vancouver was underway.
- After the engine shut off, a strong current pushed the vessel off course, causing the starboard propeller to hit a sandbar before the boat became stuck.
- The Canadian Coast Guard supported the evacuation, including dispatching the hovercraft Siyay.
- No injuries were reported among the passengers.
Spirit Cruises says the grounding began when the vessel’s emergency engine shut-off was tampered with while the Pride of Vancouver was underway.
How the engine stopped
The cruise company said the protective cage around the emergency shut-off had been removed and the shut-off activated, stopping the engine.
A strong current then pushed the vessel off course, Spirit Cruises said, and the starboard propeller hit a sandbar.
Vanessa Garrett, a spokesperson for Spirit Cruises, told CBC News the company does not know who tampered with the equipment, but said it was someone aboard the vessel because the protective cage had to be removed to activate the shut-off.
Evacuation in shallow water
CTV News reported that the Canadian Coast Guard supported the evacuation and dispatched the hovercraft Siyay, which can operate in shallow water and carry a large group.
Scott Richmond, an RCMSAR Station 2 crew member quoted by CTV, described difficult conditions around the grounded vessel.
“The water at the location of the grounding is very shallow and, coupled with the ebbing tide, would have made an evacuation challenging,” Richmond said.
Andrée-Anne Poulin, a National Defence spokesperson, told CTV that no pollution was reported as a result of the grounding.
Company rejects mechanical failure
Garrett told CBC News that Spirit Cruises does not believe a mechanical failure caused the incident. She said the engine equipment had been fully rebuilt in April 2026 during a dry-dock refit.
“We are very disappointed, as we have a great deal of respect for all of our passengers and crew, and something so preventable is not something we ever thought we would have to deal with,” Garrett said.
What we don't know yet
- The reports say Spirit Cruises does not know exactly who tampered with the emergency shut-off.
How outlets covered it
- CTV News (Bell Media) — “Vessel carrying Metro Vancouver grad cruise ‘tampered with’ before running aground, operator says”, Oct. 30, 2026. By James Paracy. Led with the alleged tampering of an emergency engine shut-off. Quoted Spirit Cruises spokesperson Vanessa Garrett; RCMSAR Station 2 crew member Scott Richmond; spokesperson for the federal government’s National Defence branch Andrée-Anne Poulin; North Vancouver School District. Not in the other reports here: the deployment of the hovercraft Siyay for the evacuation.
- CityNews (Rogers Sports & Media) — “Investigation finds ‘tampering’ to be cause of grad cruise ship running aground in Vancouver”, Oct. 30, 2026. By Raynee Novak. Led with tampering as the reported cause of the grounding. Quoted Vanessa Garrett with Spirit Cruises. Not in the other reports here: Spirit Cruises’ co-operation with the Transport Safety Board and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
- CBC News (CBC/Radio-Canada) — “Investigation finds party boat carrying graduating students ran aground due to tampering”, Oct. 30, 2026. By Bridget Stringer-Holden. Quoted student body president Cady Nelson-Quine; Vanessa Garrett with Spirit Cruises, the company operating the vessel; North Vancouver School District. Not in the other reports here: the engine’s April 2026 rebuild and dry-dock refit.
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Support The Canada Report →How we sourced this story
| Most key facts come from statements by Vanessa Garrett, CTV News and Andrée-Anne Poulin, as reported by 3 news outlets. Outlets repeating the same statements do not confirm them independently. |
8 key facts · 1 independently corroborated · 7 from statements or releases · none disputed
How we put this together: we compare reporting from the outlets above, draft with the help of AI tools, and an editor checks every story before it's published. Our methodology.
