Members of the Gitk'a'ata First Nation rescued 101 people who were aboard a large ferry that struck a rock and sank early Wednesday morning in Hartley Bay, British Columbia.

In the middle of the night, residents of the Native village at Hartley Bay rushed to respond to a distress call that came over the radio at 12:25am. The men went out in boats to rescue the passengers while the women organized the community center to receive survivors.

The actions of the First Nation saved the lives of all of the passengers and crew on the large Queen of the North ferry. Some people were injured and flown to a hospital. Others were treated for minor cuts and scrapes at the community center.

Get the Story:
B.C. ferry strikes rock, sinks (AP 3/23)
The rescue at Hartley Bay (The Globe and Mail 3/23)
'They were so grateful' (Vancouver 24 Hours 3/23)
RCMP takes over search for 2 missing ferry passengers (CBC 3/23)
Small Village Mobilized For Ferry Rescue (KOMO 3/22)