The sole ferry scheduled to operate on the run to Bell Island broke down Sunday morning.

But the Flanders' mechanical problem was fixed early Sunday afternoon and it returned to service on a load-and-go basis.

The other ferry that carries passengers between Bell Island and Portugal Cove – the Nonia – was recently diverted to the Fogo Island area to replace the ferry that broke down there.

Sunday's Bell Island ferry problem came days after people on the island warned there could be real trouble if the Flanders can’t operate.

“We're going to be totally stranded. Held ransom by a helicopter perhaps. What If the boat has to make a medical emergency run overnight? Or if there is no boat in the morning, no one gets to work and our businesses are suffering," Ed Kent, of the Bell Island Ferry Users committee, told CBC News last week.

No date has been set for the Nonia to return to the Bell Island run.