PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — UPDATE: A Pierce County spokesperson announced that ferry service resumed just before 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
PREVIOUS: Island living isn’t always a slice of paradise for residents on Anderson Island.
The island is only accessible by private boat or ferry. But on Friday, ferry service became suspended, leaving few options for people like Arvin Lao.
“Last night they said that maybe that ferry would run, and it didn’t,” Lao said. ‘We’d like to get home. Some of us, like myself, I have medications I need to go take.”
The ferry system to Anderson Island is run by Pierce County. Two ferries are designated for this island-to-mainland route — each out of commission Friday and Saturday, leaving dozens stranded.
“It’s understandable that things happen and there’s mechanical issues,” Lao said. “But to leave people stranded like they are — it’s all Pierce County’s issue.”
That’s where Captain Corey comes in — a Good Samaritan with an aptly named boat.
“The name of the boat is Solution — we’ve got the problem there, we’ve got the solution here,” Corey said.
Corey took time out of his weekend to get neighbors where they needed to go, free of charge, on his private boat.
“Just shuttling people back and forth, who need to get home or need to get off for work or get their pets home,” Corey said. “Helping my neighbors.”