Boat capsized in English Bay

[Sotally Tober]

Boat capsizes near West Vancouver, two people rescued
Vancouver, BC, Canada / News Talk 980 CKNW | Vancouver's News. Vancouver's Talk
Simon Little
Posted: August 21, 2016 05:47 pm

Two people fishing near West Vancouver caught more than they bargained for this afternoon after a pair of waves capsized their boat.

Assistant Chief Jeff Bush with West Vancouver Fire says crews were called for a rescue near the foot of 25th street.

“Fortunately it happened at 10 to four in the afternoon, if it had been 8:30 or 9:00 at night at dusk it could have been a very different story, they could have been out there for some time, and of course with the cooler weather, exposure does play a factor.”

Bush says the pair were pulled from the water chilled, but unhurt.

“It turned out to be a 17 foot pleasure craft. Two people were on board at the time it capsized, they were both thrown into the water and they were subsequently rescued by a passing boat and subsequently transferred over to the Coast Guard. The boat has been towed to Ambleside Beach at this time.”

He says there doesn’t appear to have been any serious fuel leakage.

 

[63stingray]

Was a decent fuel or oil leak the Ambelside dock had lots of it on the surface!!!I don't get why they would leave it tied up at the dock and drop the two people off for hours well it leaked fuel or oil!! I felt so bad for the guy when I pulled up and loaded mine though.

 

[TheBigGuy]

A 17 foot boat should not capsize in the harbour unless the operator is very inexperienced. There can be some very nasty standing waves on an out going tide with a Westerly wind at times, but a 17 foot boat should be able to maneuver safely if handled properly. I've fished the harbour for years in different size boats including a 14 tinny with a small outboard and a 15 foot runabout with a 50 hp. I've never come close to anything like that happening.

I hope the guys thinking about going out in the chuck in small boats that are only used to Lake fishing pay heed to this. The ocean needs to be treated with respect. Make sure you have plenty of safety equipment on board. A floating handheld VHF could end up being the difference between life and death when something like this happens without warning. There's no substitute for experience on the water. All the best safety equipment can't compensate for inadequate boat handling skills. Unfortunately the only way you learn what your boat is capable of handling is to get practice under snotty conditions. Hopefully you learn gradually how to master rough water conditions before something like this unfortunate incident happens to you. A capsize can happen in an instant. I know because I've been there. Once that happens to you, you will learn quickly the water is a harsh mistress. I was only 13 when I learned that valuable life lesson and luckily someone was close by to rescue me. Sometimes there's not a boat within sight when a serious mishap occurs, so be prepared, with lots of safety equipment. Don't end up being a statistic. Treat the ocean with the respect it deserves, because some people unfortunately don't get a second chance.

 

[trophywife]

open bow possible or one of them no hull speed boats where the wave washes over the windshield ? seen lots of these swamped over the years in burrard inlet. tug waves!

 

[Striker]

From the picture of the hull it looks like a Boston Whaler Montauk. Did anyone see what type of boat?

 

[TheBigGuy]

open bow possible or one of them no hull speed boats where the wave washes over the windshield ? seen lots of these swamped over the years in burrard inlet. tug waves!

Ya but still, that comes down to watching out for waves, maneuvering, and hitting the throttle at the appropriate moment, so you don't get drenched or flipped. It really comes down to boatsmanship, and knowing how to handle your vessel under all conditions. I still say that should never happen in the harbour unless its a 40knot gale, in which case there's no excuse for being out there

 

[trophywife]

Ya but still, that comes down to watching out for waves, maneuvering, and hitting the throttle at the appropriate moment, so you don't get drenched or flipped. It really comes down to boatsmanship, and knowing how to handle your vessel under all conditions. I still say that should never happen in the harbour unless its a 40knot gale, in which case there's no excuse for being out there

absolutely!! blip of the throttle can be a life saver!

 

[Reeltime]

Some of those ships passing through can leave a pretty sharp and high breaking wave , waves would get larger in certain area's of west van shallow maybe .

I've had to pull the gear and run few times from a ships heavy wake ..