PRINCE RUPERT -- Two manned submersibles are scheduled to shine powerful spotlights on the wreckage of the Queen of the North tomorrow as questions about how the accident happened continue to grow.
Meanwhile, B.C. Ferries admitted yesterday that two missing passengers probably went down with the sinking ferry. Ninety-nine passengers and crew were rescued when the ferry sank Wednesday.
"The logical conclusion is that they may very well be on the ship," said B.C. Ferries president David Hahn. "I think retrieval of the bodies is going to be almost impossible at this point."
Phil Nuytten of the submarine company Nuytco Research in North Vancouver says he expects his crew in the two, one-man Deepworker 2000 subs will find the 125-metre ferry in pieces on the sea floor.
"We understand there are four objects at the bottom," he said.
As of yesterday, Nuytten had not been asked to enter the vessel to search for the possible remains of missing passengers Gerald Foisy and Shirley Rosette of 108 Mile House.
Meanwhile, an eight-person team from the Transportation Safety Board spent yesterday conducting interviews with crew members and passengers. It's unknown how long the probe will last, said agency spokesman John Cottreau.
"We take the time that we need to make sure that it's a thorough investigation and that we learn lessons that will advance transportation safety," Cottreau said.
Cottreau said investigators will look at processes and procedures used in the evacuation and in general use.
"If we find safety deficiencies, we'll make that public as quickly as possible," he said.
The TSB team will also look into the issue of the ferry's single-compartment structure, which led B.C. Ferries safety-management designer Bob Beadell to repeatedly recommend the vessel be pulled from service or be fitted with flotation sponsons.
Skeena-Bulkley Valley NDP MP Nathan Cullen is demanding federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon go to Prince Rupert to address what he calls "serious concerns" over the ferry's single-compartment design.
And Transport Canada is investigating whether there were violations of the Canada Shipping Act or federal marine-safety laws.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Coast Guard shut down search operations for the two missing passengers. Prince Rupert RCMP are now in charge of the search for Foisey and Rosette.
RCMP Const. Alain Beaulieu did not know whether the ferry's captain or crew members were tested for alcohol or drug impairment following the sinking.
Hahn refused to say who was at the helm when the ferry strayed from its course and hit Gil Island in Wright Sound.
"The ship was clearly off course," he said, noting that the ferry was well equipped with global positioning system technology and radar. Ferries typically navigate along predetermined routes and the crew was experienced, he said.
"Clearly, this ship was navigating southbound, it was due to make a turn to the port side and it didn't."
Hahn estimated the ferry's speed at about 19 knots.
He said the Queen of Prince Rupert should be out of drydock and back into service a week from today. Barge services have been contracted for the Queen Charlotte Islands and other North Coast communities that rely on the ferries for supplies.
Hahn said a new ship will have to be found for the summer tourist season.
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