The Coast Guard vessel Gordon Reid is towing disabled Russian container ship carrying hundreds of tons of fuel away from British Columbia’s northern coast on Saturday. The move significantly lessened the threat of the ship running aground, hitting the rocks and causing a spill. The Canadian Forces’ joint rescue coordination center said the Russian carrier Simushir lost power off Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, as it made its way from Everett in Washington state to Russia. The Reid is backed up by a flotilla of Canadian and U.S cutters if it needs help.
