The Celebration of Lights in Downtown Vancouver may be a relaxing night for most, but there was little time for ooing and aahing for Richmonds busy volunteer search and rescue team.
The members of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) were inundated over the weekend keeping Richmonds waterways safe.
Not least on the opening night of the annual fireworks displays in English Bay when dozens of boaters sailed out of McDonald Beach on the Fraser Rivers north arm.
The RCMSAR Station 10 team, in position near the beach in anticipation of their services being required, was called into action on several occasions to save stricken vessels and their occupants.
The shouts during the teams near six-hour shift ranged from a broken down boat adrift on the rivers dangerously strong current near McDonald Beach to a Mayday distress call from another disabled vessel in the rivers middle arm, which was drifting towards a large rock wall that assists with the flow of the river.
All incidents had a safe conclusion and no one was injured.
At this time of year, our guys are usually out there about twice a week, said RCMSAR member Brian Hobbs.
But during the fireworks, were pretty stretched with all the breakdowns.
Hobbs said inexperience among the boaters plays a major role in the dangerous situations they often find themselves in, especially on the nights the fireworks are being held.
For sure, for the fireworks, well see a lot more inexperienced people out there, he said.
Its mainly people who just dont know the area too well and are out there late at night in the dark.
Despite the novice errors being made year after year by infrequent boaters, Hobbs and his team fall short of lecturing the people they rescue.
Were always trying to pass on some wisdom, trying to get across what they should be doing next time, he said.
But we dont want to put people off calling for help by being too hard on them.
Away from the fireworks, the dangers of the local waterways were all too evident Sunday night when the RCMSAR team was called out to Richmonds marshes, just south of the Massey Tunnel.
A pleasure craft with one person on board struck another with eight people on board.
Initial reports were that people were possibly thrown into the water, but thankfully all persons were recovered onto one of the islands, said Hobbs.
Station 10s Jimmy Ng vessel responded from Steveston along with the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) hovercraft, ambulance and fire-rescue.
Three people were taken to hospital with serious injuries and two with minor injuries.
Station 10 is a completely volunteer and fundraised based search and rescue resource and is recruiting now. Contact [email protected] or 604-227-9909 for information.
