VANCOUVER -- Police in Delta say they rescued a hypothermic paddle boarder over the weekend, prompting them to issue a warning to other boarders.
Officers were initially called about a missing paddle boarder at about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday at Centennial Beach. They say the wind had taken the boarder far from the beach, and she hadn't been seen by her companion for 40 minutes.
Then, about 10 minutes later, the person called police back to say he'd found his friend. However, police say the paddle boarder was extremely cold and couldn't move on her own.
"Learning of her plight our officers made a two-kilometere trek out in the shallow waters of Boundary Bay, locating the duo around 12:20 pm. The paddle boarder's condition was deteriorating, and she was unable to walk, so police started carrying her back to shore, as the tide was coming in," Insp. Ciaran Feenan said in a news release issued Monday.
"Approximately one kilometre from the shore two fire fighters came out to assist our officers, and wrapped the boarder in thermal blankets. Police and fire fighters then alternated carrying her safely back to shore."
Police warn that conditions can change quickly, even in shallow waters, and recommend going out with a companion and taking a phone in a waterproof case.
In this instance, the boarder was taken to hospital, but police say she is doing much better now.
