Lost fisherman found alive, another still missing after life raft discovered off Vancouver Island
One of two American fishermen who had been lost at sea for nearly two weeks was found alive Thursday, floating in an emergency life raft approximately 75 kilometres off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
The other man who was aboard their 13-metre vessel when it left Grays Harbor in Washington state on Oct. 12, has not been found.
The lone survivor was located by the crew of the Canadian fishing boat "Ocean Sunset" approximately 40 nautical miles off Ucluelet, B.C., around 8 a.m.
"It's a one-in-a-million chance to find a life raft out there in that huge open ocean," U.S. Coast Guard public affairs officer Steve Strohmaier said of the discovery.
"We're really, really grateful for those Good Samaritans who took him aboard," Strohmaier said, commending the crew of the Canadian boat for feeding the castaway and giving him water while waiting for authorities to arrive.
Canadian Coast Guard vessel Cape Ann was dispatched to the scene to bring the stranded man ashore.
B.C. Emergency Health Services says it was contacted by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria at 8:42 a.m. about "a marine incident." An ambulance was sent to the government dock in Tofino to await the man's arrival.
Paramedics treated the mariner, who was found to be in stable condition, and transported him to Tofino General Hospital.
The U.S. Coast Guard had been searching for the missing mariners after their vessel, named "Evening," failed to return to Westport, Wash., on Oct. 15.
The search was called off Wednesday after authorities scoured more than 36,000 square kilometres of ocean.
"Literally about 12 hours after we suspended (our search), a Good Samaritan vessel was able to come upon this life raft pretty much out in the middle of nowhere," Strohmaier said. "And miraculously, there was one person inside that was alive."
The U.S. Coast Guard says it will work with the rescued man to determine what happened to his fishing partner and their boat before determining whether or not to renew the search.
"At this time, the search for the other individual is still suspended pending any new information," United States Coast Guard public affairs officer Travis Magee said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.