Search and rescue crews on Vancouver Island are praising local boaters who helped facilitate an early morning rescue Tuesday.
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station Oak Bay (RCMSAR) received an urgent call for a person in the water off Gyro Park Beach around 3:50 a.m., the search group said in a social media post.
The 36-year-old man had ended up in the cold water approximately 100 metres offshore after a “piloting mishap,” according to the post.
“A huge thank you to the boaters on a nearby vessel who heard his cries for help,” the post reads. “They jumped into action, rowing over to the patient and pulling him onto his sailboat, just as our crew arrived on the scene.”
The man was in the water for approximately 15 minutes, RCMSAR said, adding that he had dislocated his shoulder during the incident.
Search crews transferred the man to paramedics at Oak Bay Marina shortly after 5 a.m., according to the post.
Saanich police and the Canadian Coast Guard also responded to the call and met RCMSAR at the marina.
“A reminder to our boating community: Accidents can happen in a split second, especially in the dark,” the post concludes.
“We are grateful for the ‘Good Samaritans’ whose quick ears and fast rowing made a massive difference this morning.”
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