Coast guard rescues 4 from frigid waters off northern Vancouver Island
Four people were rescued from the frigid waters off northern Vancouver Island after their boat was damaged by pounding seas and they were forced to abandon ship Wednesday evening.
A spokesperson for B.C. Emergency Health Services says the agency received a call from the coast guard saying four people were in need of medical attention at approximately 6:40 p.m.
Three ambulances were dispatched to the coast guard dock in Port Hardy, B.C., where paramedics treated all four victims and transported them to hospital.
Authorities with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria say rescuers were alerted to a vessel in distress approximately seven nautical miles – or 13 kilometres – from Port Hardy at 6:19 p.m.
A nearby fish-farm vessel, the Coastal Server, spotted emergency flares from the four-member crew after the windows of their 7.5-metre workboat were smashed by surging waves, according to the coast guard.
Canadian Coast Guard ships Florencia Bay and Sir William Grenfell were dispatched to the scene, along with a pair of fast rescue boats and a Cormorant helicopter from Canadian Forces Base Comox.
The crew of one of the fast rescue boats pulled the stranded mariners from the water and delivered them to the paramedics on the coast guard dock, according to Maritime Forces Pacific spokesperson Acting Sub-Lt. Kim Wachockier.
The rescued boaters had been in the water for approximately 45 minutes and were treated for hypothermia, according to the coast guard.
B.C. Emergency Health Services said the condition of the patients was not available Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.