An RCM SAR Boat grabs a line from a sailboat stuck near the shore by Pipers Lagoon Park (Photo: Gary Korpan)
No one was injured and a boat was saved, after members of the public called in a dangerous marine situation near Nanaimo.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre says they received calls around 1:24 p.m. of a sailboat drifting dangerously close to the shore. No one but a dog could be seen onboard.
Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue Station 27 was sent and arrived around 1:39 p.m. to find a man on board, who had run aground after dragging his anchor.
Luckily, the tide was high enough for rescue crews to try to tow the boat off the bottom.
The vessel being towed away from shore (Photo: Gary Korpan)
The vessel was successfully towed and crews helped the man re-set his anchor in the nearby bay.
The boat did not sustain any significant damage and no hazardous fluids leaked.
Gary Korpan was driving past the Charlaine Boat Ramp when he saw search and rescue arrive.
“It’s nice to see people helping each other, and Nanimo SAR is all volunteers and they are just fantastic,” said Korpan.
The cause of the incident is unknown, but JRCC says it was a good outcome on a busy day. Strong winds, that also canceled multiple B.C. Ferry sailings, kept them on their toes.
“Be careful, we are busy due to the sudden northwest weather,” said Dylan Carter, the maritime SAR coordinator at JRCC.
“If you’re on a boast [always] check the weather.”
(Photo: Gary Korpan)
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