Vashon ferry disrupted after captain's medical emergency

On Monday morning, crews were assessing damage to the dock at Point Defiance after a ferry crash that damaged a ramp on Christmas Eve.

This after a captain suffered a medical incident on board and collapsed onto the control panel.

The Point Defiance-Talequah ferry service is suspended indefinitely until repairs can be done. Ferry officials said that given this accident happened over the weekend, the dock could take longer to fix.

“This is Christmas; obviously, it’s hard to get parts we probably have to get some things shipped, so it will be a couple of days before we can get that route back into action again,” said Ian Sterling, public information officer for the Washington State Ferries.

Passengers are advised to use the Southworth and the Fauntleroy docks for now.

We caught up with some ferry riders in West Seattle. Anne Cleary counts herself lucky to be retired, so she doesn't have to do this commute on a regular basis.

“I just know it could be very inconvenient for a lot of other people,” said Cleary, who lives on Vashon Island.

Dina Gitler also calls Vashon Island home.

She said that for now, she’s ditching her car, and walks on board make her ride a little easier.

“It’s a lot easier to walk on and walk off,” said Gitler. “It’ very difficult for people who live off the island.”

Ferry riders are happy not to see heavy backup today, but said that could change as early as tonight.

Ferry officials have not released the name of the captain involved in the incident, nor the exact nature of his medical emergency. But they said he is recovering and is expected to be okay.

All our thoughts tonight with 1 of our captains who suffered a medical issue at Pt. Defiance. Route is currently out of service.
— Washington State Ferries (@wsferries) December 25, 2016