Six saved from wind-stranded paddle boat
Article content
The Victoria Beach volunteer fire department helped saved six people just before a wave capsized their paddle boat on Lake Winnipeg Sunday.
Victoria Beach Police were contacted when six people on a paddle boat were observed to be in distress.
“We got a call about 10 a.m., and found out that there were four adults and two kids that were on a paddle boat at Albert Beach and the wind had carried them about half-a-kilometre off shore,” Insp. Paul McQueen said Monday.
The paddle boat contained the mother and father of kids aged five and seven, along with two in-laws. One of them called police on their cellphone.
“Another person on the beach saw them through binoculars and noticed they weren’t wearing life jackets, and called us,” McQueen said. “Another citizen also noticed that they didn’t have life jackets, so he got into his kayak and took life jackets out to them. He was pretty brave because it was hard for him to battle the waves to get there. Then, another person got on his jet ski and went out there to try to tow them in, but the boat was too heavy.”
Meanwhile, the police had contacted the volunteer fire department, which has an inflatable Zodiac and volunteers with coast guard training, McQueen said. The volunteers hurried into action, inflated the Zodiac, got it into the water and motored to the paddle boat in the nick of time. McQueen said.
“Once they got the people out, the next wave capsized the paddle boat,” McQueen said. “Tragedy was averted. It would have taken the coast guard too long to get here from Gimli, so their heroic efforts saved everybody.”
They also saved the paddle boat – with some extra effort, he added.
Those who were rescued did not need medical attention.
“But they were very cold and quite shaken up,” McQueen said. “I think they were shaken up because they could see that they were in a lot of trouble. They were very appreciative.”
Charges could be pending because the boat’s occupants were not wearing life jackets, nor did they have any in the vessel.
“I want to emphasize that life jackets are required by every person,” McQueen said. “Everybody should have been wearing a life jacket in that boat. Charges will be contemplated.”
McQueen figured the boat was in trouble on the water for about an hour.
Twitter: @bendersun
tap here to see other videos from our team.
