Two men are safe after spending several hours stranded in their sailing boat between Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii last night.
Captain Greg Clarke with the Rescue Coordination Centre says the call for help came in around 8PM and it took nearly three hours for crews to reach them.
“It was very challenging conditions – not just for the boat who had lost power and steering and the rudder, that’s why they called for the may-day, as well for the aircraft crews who had to hoist down a search and rescue technicians in very choppy conditions.”
Clarke says both men are fine, but their boat is in bad shape.
“The boat wasn’t yet taking on water, but it was increasingly unstable. The sails apparently were tattered and we did have some reports the boat may not have been that great to begin with by the time our crews arrived on scene, it definitely was in rough shape –still upright, but definitely listing in the heavy seas.”
The rescue was also assisted by a nearby cruise ship – the Star Princess – acting as a wind blocker for emergency crews.
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