Eleven people were safely taken to shore after their canoe turned over in the ocean off West Vancouver over the weekend, according to authorities, marking another close call in a season that’s already much deadlier than last year.
Members of the RCMP Tactical Marine Operations Group were in the Burrard Inlet as part of FIFA World Cup security on Sunday afternoon when they received a distress call reporting an overturned canoe near Ambleside Beach.
“Upon arrival, officers located 11 people, including several youths, clinging to a large overturned canoe,” B.C. RCMP wrote in a statement Wednesday.
“Officers immediately began recovering individuals from the water. Due to the condition of some occupants who were experiencing difficulty remaining afloat, a Tactical Rescue Diver was deployed to assist with the rescue effort.”
Police say the individuals were suffering exposure to cold water but none of them were seriously hurt.
The vessel was towed to shore after divers made sure nobody was trapped beneath it.
“This incident highlights how quickly a day on the water can turn into an emergency,” said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Brett Urano said, in the statement. “We are grateful that everyone was safely recovered and would like to remind boaters that wearing a properly fitted life jacket can significantly increase survival and safety in the event of an unexpected capsize.”
The Lifesaving Society of B.C. and the Yukon says while there are countless close calls on the water every day, there’s been a surge in fatalities.
“We’ve had an alarming spike in drownings or fatalities within B.C. and Yukon and we are now at 29 confirmed fatalities in B.C., with a few unconfirmed as well,” said executive director Lenea Grace.
“On top of that, we are looking at two drownings in the Yukon, compared to 21 total (across both jurisdictions) at this time last year.”
Seven of this year’s deaths stem from the sinking of a chartered fishing vessel in Richmond last week, and Grace says there’s no other reason, with the cool and damp start to the summer doing nothing to keep people off the water.
“It looks like it doesn’t really matter what the weather’s like and there is no one single trend,” she said. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen drowning fatalities from boaters and swimmers in all kinds of situations.”
The lifesaving society is trying to shift the culture around personal flotation devices, comparing them to seatbelts that everyone should wear on the water – regardless of age or swimming ability.
