It was a dark and stormy Tuesday night and a man received a rough ride in his live-aboard boat in Chemainus Harbour.
Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria received a call Oct. 24 around 8:30 p.m. about a vessel broken down outside of the harbour. Weather conditions were miserable at the time with heavy rain and wind.
“Joint Rescue Coordination Centre tasked a Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue vessel to assist,” noted Lieut. Michelle Scott of Maritime Forces Pacific Public Affairs. “One person was taken off the vessel and was assessed by Emergency Health Services. RCMP also attended the scene.”
A volunteer crew from RCMSAR based out of Vesuvius on Salt Spring Island responded to the call.
“Our crew was out training when they heard the distress call,” pointed out Andrew Ross Collins, the RCMSAR25 station leader.
Members of the North Cowichan Fire Department from the Chemainus Hall also attended to provide assistance.
“The boat dragged its anchor and got up on the shore,” said North Cowichan Fire Department interim chief Ron French.
The marine search and rescue crew was on the scene quickly and managed to get a line on it and get it off the rocks.
“It was a live-aboard and with the high wind, the anchor didn’t hold,” noted French.
The boat was taken into the nearby government wharf. The man did not sustain any serious injuries.
North Cowichan fire crews were busy all over the valley that night, with power outages and the poor weather resulting in several calls.
“First storm of the season – away we go,” quipped French.
