Two men were admitted to hospital Saturday night after their boat capsized off the B.C. coast.
Wind toppled the 12-foot aluminum boat at around 9:45 p.m. between the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and Deltaport, leaving its two male passengers stranded in the sea without lifejackets.
One was able to swim safely to shore alone. He called police, spurring a search effort for the other.
A Coast Guard hovercraft, aided by the RCMP Air One helicopter, the Delta Police Department and a number of pleasure boaters in the area, searched for the missing man before learning that he, too, had reached the shore and made his way to hospital.
"It's remarkable that they both made it to shore without a personal floatation device," Coast Guard Rescue Coordinator Wayne Bamford said.
The search could have been avoided had the second passenger alerted authorities that he was safe, Bamford added.
"Give us a call, or give police a call to let them know," he said. "If there's any doubt, we're going to search. Our rule of thumb is to assume the worst."
Both men were in decent condition "considering what they'd been through," Bamford said.
Boaters should avoid heading out after dark, Bamford added, but if compelled should bring a bare minimum of flares and a radio for safety.
