One evening in March, with temperatures hovering around 10 degrees, one of our RCMSAR crews received a call-out to locate two stranded boaters. After mustering at the boathouse, the five crew members were briefed on the mission and soon on their way, in calm seas but under a darkening sky. With warm weather and clear visibility, they scanned the horizon, eyes peeled for any signs of distress. An intense ten minutes later, their vigilance paid off as they spotted a flashlight beam in the distance.
Approaching the scene, they found two young men stranded on the rocks, their vessel bobbing in the water nearby after an engine failure. Thankfully, both were wearing life jackets and were unharmed but cold. After ensuring their safety, the crew helped them aboard and gave them blankets to warm themselves up.
The crew set up the towline and began the journey back to safety. Just before 9:00 pm, the vessel was safely released, and the relieved occupants paddled to shore, grateful for the assistance that had arrived just in time.