Three Lower Mainland men are grateful to be alive after a near-death experience in Howe Sound Thursday afternoon. Their boat took on water and despite pleas for help, no help arrived from other mariners in the area.
Michael Forstved says he’d been crabbing with his father, David, and brother, Jonathan, when their 14-foot aluminum boat started taking on water north of Anvil Island, just west of Porteau Cove.
“I see the back of the boat start to go under water and then my dad says 'time to grab the life jackets, we're going to go in,’” says 23 year-old Michael.
David Forstved says, while he had safety equipment on board, he didn’t have any flares to signal for help. He doubts they would’ve helped.
“We absolutely weren’t able to get to the flares had we had them. We went down in 2.5 seconds,” he tells CTV News.
As they clung to the overturned vessel, they blew on whistles connected to their life jackets and screamed themselves hoarse trying to get the attention of other boaters and a tug going through the area. No one responded.
“My dad says ‘OK, I'm going to have to leave you guys here and try to get to shore for help.’ And then he risked his life trying to get to shore,” says Michael, his voice breaking with emotion.
David estimates it took him two hours to fight a riptide and swim to shore. He then climbed up a cliff to reach the Sea to Sky Highway, where he tried to flag down passing motorists. Dripping wet and waving his life jacket, he says no one would stop.
“At this point the kids, all I could envision is they’re in the water. Every second counts. They’ve been in there too long,” says David.
Exhausted but desperate to save Michael and Jonathan, David ran another kilometre to Porteau Cove where he was able to call for help. As he was scrambling to find help, his sons had decided to make for the shore in case their dad didn’t make it back. Two paddleboarders spotted them and ran to help, letting David and 25 year-old Jonathan hold on to them to rest until rescuers arrived from Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue crews from West Vancouver and Squamish, as well as Kitsilano and Sea Island Coast Guard personnel.
"The thing that probably saved their lives and made this a really good news story is that they were wearing life jackets," says RCM SAR coxswain Ian Grantham.
“Often, when we got out searching for people who've been in the water this long the news isn't usually this good."
While the Forstved family is grateful for the rescuers and paddleboarders who helped, they’re both rattled and disappointed that other mariners didn’t notice they were fighting for their lives.
“There were numerous boats all around, easily within earshot,” says David.
Under Canadian law, mariners have an obligation to help someone on the water displaying a distress signal. With their belongings sunk or scattered, the Forstveds weren’t able to display the arm signals or any of the other signs specified in Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide.
Michael is calling on mariners to watch for signs of trouble, whatever they may be.
“When you're on the water you have to pay attention, there could be someone out there needing help. Last year there were two kayakers in the same area. They weren't lucky like we were, they didn't make it.”
