A shipping company serving the Far North says one employee is recovering in an Ottawa hospital after he and over 20 seacans fell overboard into a port near Nunavut's capital last Friday. A cargo ship moves recovered shipping containers, commonly called "seacans," in an undated handout photo taken near Iqaluit. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Canadian Coast Guard, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
IQALUIT, Nunavut – A shipping company serving the Far North says an employee is recovering in an Ottawa hospital after he and almost two dozen containers fell into the water near Nunavut’s capital on Friday.
A spokesperson for NEAS Arctic Sealift, based in Montreal, says a worker lost his footing, fell into an Iqaluit shipping port, was rescued by a local and brought ashore to emergency crews.
Jeremy Hennessy, with the Canadian Coast Guard, says 16 of the 23 containers that fell have been recovered as of Sunday, while the rest are still unaccounted for, and that there are no dangerous goods inside.
Eight of the containers belong to the Northmart in Iqaluit, and a representative says the spill will have little to no effect on supply as containers shipped by boat generally carry non-perishable foods and general merchandise.
The Transportation Safety Board says it’s still gathering information to determine if it will launch an investigation.
Hennessy says local boat operators should continue to observe navigational warnings and be cautious as efforts to recover remaining debris continue.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2023.
