As marine investigators probe the cause of last weekend's mini-tsunami at an apparently tranquil Steveston cove, it seems it's not the first time people have feared being sucked under water at the spot.
Representatives of the Pacific Pilotage Authority (PPA) and the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) met Thursday morning with Stuart Sequeira and his dad, Mike, at Garry Point beach to relive their frightening experience.
On Saturday evening, the Sequeiras, including Stuart's two-year-old daughter, Chloe, almost drowned while shore-fishing after the tideline rapidly receded and then returned just as fast in the shape of a huge swell, which engulfed and swamped all three of them.
Brian Young, the PPA's director of marine operations, confirmed at the scene Thursday that he strongly suspects a displacement of water in the shipping channel from a large passing vessel caused the tsunami-like effect.
But it has happened before, according to one Richmond News reader, who was walking her dogs with her cousin last Thanksgiving at the exact location of Saturday's incident.
"When I read the story, it was almost word for word what had happened to me, I couldn't believe it," said Mackenzie Biggar.
"My cousin (Brandi) and I were sitting on the logs on the beach. One moment the dogs were in the water. I turned away, turned back and the dogs were on sand, the water had disappeared.
"I grew up here and I've never seen it go out so far so quickly. Within a few seconds this wall of water, not a wave, came rushing in."
The pair had barely turned their backs to get away when the surge "slammed" them into the logs that they'd been resting on.
"I'm five feet, eight and half inches tall and I was under the water, scrambling to get back up," Biggar recalled.
"Thankfully, we're good swimmers and we somehow managed to get to the surface and then back onto the shore.
"I was so much in shock that I didn't even turn back to see what had happened. To this day, I still can't go back down there, I stay well away."
Biggar said she recalled a large vessel sailg passed a few minutes before the surge.
Her family reported the incident to the police, as they were worried about an elderly woman they recalled seeing on the beach, but not after. Their fears, however, were unfounded and, as far as they're aware, no other authorities got involved.
" I see kids down on that beach all the time. It can't be safe," she added.
Biggar's father, Larry, has a theory that extensive dredging around the Garry Point area may have created a steep bank, which is perhaps prone to underwater landslides when a large vessel gets too close to shore.
The PPA's Young, however, dismissed the suggestion, saying the receding of the tide and the subsequent surge is almost certainly caused by the rapid displacement of water.
"When a large vessel travels through a narrow channel such as the ones out there, it pushes a lot of water out of the channel," Young explained to the Sequeiras on Thursday.
"Water then rushes back into the channel, causing the shoreline to recede and then come back in again."
Young and the TSB's regional marine manager, Raymond Matthew, said they would examine the incident and report their findings to all the agencies concerned, including the City of Richmond.
However, they indicated that the likely outcome would be that of public awareness, rather than preventative measures.
City spokesman Ted Townsend said there are warning signs in the area about swimming due to the strong currents.
"We've never heard of this happening before," he said.
"It's really (the PPA's) responsibility, but we've asked them to keep us updated and we'll review the situation.
"I would expect them to take the appropriate action. But we'd certainly take a look at it."
A floating dock was erected at the point in the summer to accommodate the recent Ships to Shore event.
And Townsend said that when ships docked (at the point) they expected some wakes from passing ships, so they "had to make sure they were secured properly.
"But we recognize it's a working maritime harbour."
The floats, which the PPA's Young said have nothing to do with Saturday's incident, are getting moved as previously scheduled to a more sheltered spot for the winter.
