Was a BC Ferries capt. fired for pointing out safety issues?
Posted February 14, 2013 12:25 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The ex-captain of a BC ferry says he was shocked that he was fired after the vessel sank off BC’s Northern Coast.
In testimony at the Queen of the North trial, Colin Henthorne says he thought BC Ferries had his back, but several months after the vessel sank, he was told by phone that he was being let go.
Under defence questioning in court, Henthorne says it took awhile before he was given a reason.
His lawyer started looking into the matter, and eventually Henthorne was told it was his attitude.
At issue, according to his testimony, was a BC Ferries inquiry held after the crash.
There, Henthorne outlined a large number of safety concerns he had brought forward during his career.
He thinks that led to his firing, but BC Ferries told him it was the way he raised the safety issues.
Henthorne’s testimony comes at the trial of navigating officer Karl Lilgert, who is charged with criminal negligence causing the deaths of two passengers.
