RCMP Coastal Unit lends a hand and a tow for local boaters adrift

RCMP Coastal unit members responded to a call
near Gribell Island south of Hartley Bay

Member of the Prince Rupert RCMP Coastal Unit responded to a marine call for assistance over the weekend, taking to the waters from Hartley Bay to assist in stranded boater call relayed by satellite communication near Bishop Bay.

The Prince Rupert Detachment outlined some details of their efforts towards assistance for Prince Rupert resident Jeff Easingwood and his family.

On Sunday April 30th the Prince Rupert Coastal members stationed in Hartley Bay received a call for help via a personal satellite communicator; a subscription based tool that is used to communicate remotely via satellites, it is also capable of sending SOS signals and reporting your exact location to rescuers. 

The members learned that a Prince Rupert resident, 39-year-old Jeff Easingwood, along with his wife and three young children had become stranded in Bishop Bay, a small bay just east of Gribbell Island and Wright Sound. Easingwood and his family lost use of the main motors on their vessel and were using their small kicker motor to propel themselves when that too became inoperable. 

Cst. Van Wyngaardt and Cst. Saunders jumped into action and tracked down the adrift boat where they began to tow them toward Kitimat as it was the nearest location to have the vessel serviced. 

Media relations officer Constable Brody Hemrich outline some notes on the marine asset that the RCMP has on the North Coast.

"People often don't know about the Prince Rupert Coastal unit exists, we travel to the communities we serve by boat and sea plane and respond to all sorts of calls, this one was a little more unique as the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) requested we assist.

We are lucky enough on the coastal unit to have some very experienced operators such as Cst. Van Wyngaardt who is a former Canadian Coast Guard member and his skills are invaluable to our unit." 

Mr. Easingwood had his own message of thanks for the work of the coastal unit on Sunday. 

 "I wanted to thank Cst. Van Wyngaardt and Cst. Saunders for their help when my family and I need it the most. Their professionalism and skill was incredible and they helped get us to safety. They also helped make a stressful situation turn into one where we knew we were in good hands." 

The RCMP's Prince Rupert Coastal team  has some helpful advice for mariners of the region and encourages those who are heading out for any kind of trip where cell service can be limited to consider safety plans, including but not limited to devices capable of transmitting your location such as an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) or a remote satellite communicator that is also capable of sending text based messages. Letting others know your plan, including routes and times you expect to arrive, is also advisable.

To contact the Prince Rupert RCMP please call 250-624-2136 in case of an emergency please dial 9-1-1. 

The RCMP information release includes photos of transit, which you can review here.

The photos and a longer piece on the situation from Mr. Easingwood can also be reviewed through his Clearly Coastal Photography Facebook page.

More notes on the work of Emergency Responders across the Northwest can be explored here.