A 30-year-old woman died after her Jeep plunged into the water off the Anacortes ferry dock Thursday morning. The recovery effort caused ferry service at the terminal to be delayed for hours.
The white Jeep Cherokee crashed through the barrier arm and the western loading slip on the Anacortes ferry dock and into the water about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Washington State Patrol.
State Patrol believes Nicole Barney of Everett paid for a ticket at 7:51 a.m. and waited in the staging area before pulling a U-turn and driving back towards the ticket station. Barney turned around again and re-parked in the staging area. Several minutes later, Barney went down the ramp, according to state patrol.
Witnesses told state patrol the driver was moving at a high speed.
The car was recovered from the water about 2 p.m. The water was about 40 feet deep about the time of the search, and the water temperature was about 48 degrees.
The Washington State Patrol later said Barney was found dead in the Jeep. She was buckled in.
It is not known whether the incident was intentional or a medical emergency.
Several agencies responded, including Anacortes Police, Skagit County Sheriff's Office, the Coast Guard, and Border Patrol’s dive team.
Ferry service resumed about 2:20 p.m. with several unscheduled eastbound departures from the San Juan Islands. Ferries that were being held at Friday Harbor, Orcas Island, and Lopez Island departed immediately.
