A barge carrying wrecked cars tipped into the Gorge waterway at the end of Jutland Road on Friday afternoon, spilling about 20 vehicles into the water.

A crane operator in an excavator on top of the barge managed to avoid following the cars into the water and was unharmed.

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The incident sparked investigations by WorkSafe B.C., Transport Canada and the Ministry of Environment.

WorkSafe B.C. issued a stop-work order for scrap metal recycling company Schnitzer Steel, located on David Street in Rock Bay. Both Transport Canada and WorkSafe B.C. have the power to lay fines if it’s determined the operation was unsafe. No one from the company could be reached for comment.

Schnitzer Steel issued a statement Saturday but didn’t explain what caused the barge to tip other than to say it took on a significant list. All of the cars had been drained of fluid before being loaded, it said.

“We are actively co-operating with all appropriate authorities to ensure we manage the situation to a conclusion in a safe and environmentally responsible manner,” the statement reads.

“We have engaged experts in relevant fields including marine design and environmental protection to direct our response efforts.”

The company is working will provincial and federal agencies to ensure the waterway cleaned up, said Mike Geoghegan, a media spokesman for Schnitzer Steel.

“All material is being actively managed and contained, and all car bodies were drained of all fluids prior to being loaded onto the barge, per our standard practice,” Geoghegan said.

“Our focus is on maintaining the safety of all involved and minimizing environmental impacts throughout the response. Once the barge has been further stabilized, we will continue with appropriate clean up efforts, including removal of material from the water.”

Celina Modeste said she was sitting on a bench across from the scrap metal yard when she saw the barge tip, sending flattened cars into Selkirk Water about 3 p.m. It then tipped to the opposite side and more cars fell in.

Some witnesses estimated that about 50 to 100 cars went in the water, but Environment Canada later said it was about 20.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary responded after initial reports that two people were in the water but that was determined not to be the case.

A Victoria Fire boat laid down a boom to collect fuel and debris.

The barge is owned by Seaspan. A tugboat belonging to the company arrived on scene about 5 p.m.

Shawn Ryan, who was working nearby, said he saw the barge about 10 minutes before it tipped and thought it looked overloaded.

He took a photo because “I had a feeling something might happen. It had a good lean to it.”

He said cranes had been loading cars onto the barge all day.

Karri Rolofs was riding her bike over the Selkirk trestle when she saw the barge sway to the side. As she surveyed the aftermath, the smell of oil thick in the air, Rolofs was worried about contamination of the waterway.

“You can see the boom isn’t containing it,” she said. “The oil is seeping into the rest of the harbour and there’s lots of seals in the waterway.”

Mike Taylor, who lives in a houseboat on the Gorge, was in a small motor boat collecting debris, including a car door and a bumper. “This is ridiculous,” he said. “This is going to affect the whole Gorge.”

A City of Victoria crew cleaned up debris on the shoreline.

Laurie Boyle, an emergency response officer with the Ministry of Environment, said the metal recycling company is required to clean vehicles of any hydrocarbons such as gas and oil, which minimized the environmental impact. “Pollution is minimal and it will be contained by the boom,” Boyle said.

Either Schnitzer Steel or Seaspan will be responsible for recovering the cars from the bottom of the Gorge, he said.

Boyle said the barge is still not stabilized and he expects it to remain in its tilted position over the weekend.

Tom Lester, a former director in the province’s Ministry of Forests, said he is concerned about the impact on the sea-run cutthroat trout that traverse the waterway.

“All the effort to rehabilitate the Gorge waterway over the years … is jeopardized by this type of spillage,” Lester said.

“This industry should not be allowed in the waterway. It’s too potentially catastrophic.”

kderosa@timescolonist.com