Training flight turns into rescue mission after boaters capsize off B.C. island
A pair of boaters and their dog were fortunate to survive after capsizing off Texada Island and spending 45 minutes in the water Thursday afternoon.
Rescuers from the Royal Canadian Air Force's 442 Squadron in Comox received a call about the incident around 3 p.m., according to Lt. Col. Jean LeRoux, the squadron's commanding officer.
LeRoux said the two people on board were a man and his 87-year-old father, who became "very hypothermic" as the boat drifted toward the shore.
The squadron deployed the cormorant helicopter that was on standby for search and rescue missions in Comox, but it wasn't the first aircraft to make it to the scene.
"I think what was special in this rescue (is that) we also had one of our school helicopters … they were very close to the actually distress, the situation," LeRoux said.
The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria called on that training helicopter to respond, as well, the commanding officer said.
"Just like any other RCAF asset, (the JRCC) can redirect them to emergency situations," LeRoux said.
Sgt. Simon Jean was the flight engineer on the school helicopter. He said the JRCC communicated that the distressed boaters had made it to shore, so the school crew began making plans to land and bring the men and their dog on board.
When they arrived, however, the team saw that there was no good place to land.
"We knew that those individuals were in the water for at least 45 minutes, and it was stated to us through our control that the elderly gentleman was severely hypothermic," Jean said. "Knowing that the next aircraft would take 15 minutes to come over, we elected to carry out the hoist and send a basket out to retrieve the individuals one after another."
The 87-year-old had lost the use of his legs due to the cold, Jean said, but his son was able to get him into the basket and hoisted up into the helicopter.
Once the two men and the dog were safely aboard the cormorant, Jean started first aid.
"We had the heat at max in the back to help warm the individuals up and we were calling back home and making sure that the SAR techs were ready," he said. "I needed help to take care of these individuals because it was above what I could do."
Master Warrant Officer Jeremy Kerr was the search and rescue technician leader waiting for the team when they got back to Comox.
"We were waiting for their landing, knowing this was incoming, with all our hypothermia treatments and our rewarming equipment," Kerr said.
After beginning to respond to treatment, the two men were taken to hospital in Comox, but the hospital couldn't look after their dog, according to LeRoux. Instead, he said, a member of the military police from 19 Wing Comox offered to take the dog and exchanged information with the rescued owners to ensure they could get their dog back.
The commanding officer praised the rescued men for having a method of contacting 911 on hand when things went wrong, and the training cormorant team for their quick response to the scene.
Had the men been in the water any longer, their lives could have been at risk, LeRoux said.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Spencer Harwood
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.