Ferry service to Vashon interrupted following captain’s medical emergency

Ferry service between Tacoma and Vashon Island remains out of service until repairs are made to the dock apron, according to a bulletin on Washington State Ferries’ website.

Passengers are advised to use alternate routes Southworth or Fauntleroy.

Damage to the dock occurred Saturday night following a medical emergency involving a ferrycaptain.

Washington State Ferries spokesman Ian Sterling said the ferry was readying for departure from Point Defiance in Tacoma when the captain became ill. The ferry then pulled away prematurely from the dock, damaging the apron.

Sterling said crew members jumped in to help, stopping the boat and also using an on-board automatic defibrillator to assist the captain until medics arrived. He said no passengers were injured in the incident.

The captain, whose name was not released, is a longtime employee of the ferry system, Sterling said.

The ferry service posted a message Saturday night saying the Point Defiance-Tahlequah run was out of service until repairs are complete. Sterling was unsure how long it would take to repair the damage.

In the interim, passengers seeking access to Vashon were advised to use service between either Southworth in Kitsap County or Fauntleroy in West Seattle. But those runs were also affected by a crew shortage, and some sailings were canceled Saturday.

For updated ferry information, watch the ferry service’s Twitter postings (@wsferries) or sign up for e-mail route alerts on the system’s website.

This story was originally published December 24, 2016 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Ferry service to Vashon interrupted following captain’s medical emergency."