The incident follows the fatal capsizing of a fishing charter off Richmond in which the victims were not wearing life jackets.
The RCMP’s marine group rescued 11 people after a canoe capsized off Ambleside Park in West Vancouver, Sunday.
The Mounties Tactical Marine Operations Group got the distress call around 3:30 p.m. while the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) was conducting the Ambleside Canoe Races. There was difficulty out in the water due to high winds and rough seas, causing it to flip over, according to the nation.
Four vessels, which were conducting a security patrol during FIFA World Cup festivities, were quickly deployed to respond to the incident, while the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue and Canadian Coast Guard, paramedics and West Vancouver police were also on site.
When rescuers arrived, 11 people were clinging onto the canoe. Officers were able to bring them out of the water onto the boat.
Some people were struggling to remain afloat, so a rescue diver came to assist.
Once they got safely aboard, officers gave them medical assessments and found that some were suffering from exposure to the cold water, but there were no major injuries.
A second canoe from the races carrying another 11 passengers had also flipped over but they were able to swim back safely with the boat as they were closer to shore, said Maj. Greg Clarke, officer in charge of JRCC.
Clarke stressed Sunday’s call could have ended a lot differently as none of the canoers were wearing life jackets.
“We’re very grateful that no one drifted away,” he said. “Very, very fortunate that without life jackets, this ended the way it did.”
It seems simple but life jackets help keep a person afloat, making it easier for search and rescue crews to spot them, Clarke said.
“Life jackets save lives,” Clarke said. “Hypothermia can set in fast, even in the summertime.”
Clarke said the safety message is vital after a fishing boat carrying 10 people that sank off Roberts Bank in Richmond last week. No one was wearing a life jacket.
The Richmond News reported Wednesday six people remain missing, including two from West Vancouver. A 28-year-old woman who was pulled from the water has since died in hospital and three survivors have been released.
“We always highly encourage life jackets,” Clarke said. “It’s really a message we want to highlight.”
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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