A local conservation officer may have saved the life of a paddleboarder who was hypothermic and weak after having fallen into Howe Sound this week.
Cst. Simon Gravel was on patrol in a boat near Porteau Cove on Tuesday (May 7) when he came upon a woman who had fallen off her stand-up paddleboard, Insp. Chris Doyle of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) said on Wednesday (May 8).
The woman, who was not wearing a life jacket, was a few hundred metres away from her partner when she fell into the water, Doyle said.
When [Gravel] reached her, she was hypothermic and weak, he said, adding that Gravel pulled the woman onto his boat and took her to shore.
She was probably within seconds of going under the water and she was fortunate that there was a boat out there and that [Gravel] was able to rescue her.
Doyle said that with warmer weather having arrived, the incident should serve as a reminder to boaters that before going out, they should ensure that they have proper safety gear and should wear life jackets at all times when out on the water.
