Pickup truck, trailer used to haul RCMP vessel slides off ramp at Lochside Waterfront Park

A routine servicing of a police boat turned slightly disastrous Thursday when a truck slipped off the boat ramp at Lochside Waterfront Park in Sidney. (Contributed by Sidney/North Saanich RCMP)

A routine servicing of a police boat turned slightly disastrous for the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP Thursday after the truck used to tow the vessel out of the water slid off the boat ramp at Lochside Waterfront Park, ending up completely submerged.

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At approximately noon members of the detachment were pulling the RCMP rigid-hulled inflatable boat out of the water to be taken for maintenance with the assistance of a pickup truck and trailer from a local boat repair shop.

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Cpl. Chris Manseau said it is unclear what caused the truck and trailer to slide into the water; a mechanical or driver error is possible.

“Divers were called because the water was so murky,” Manseau said. “Because the water was so churned up, you couldn’t see the truck at all.”

Meanwhile, the trailer had slid beneath the boat which had by then reached the ramp, having been pushed by the waves.

High tide did not make things any easier, but thankfully no one was injured, Manseau said.

Divers were able to locate the truck and hook it to a cable to allow a tow truck to pull it back to dry land.

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