The wicked storm that plunged thousands into darkness, knocked down trees and put Easter plans in peril also gave Coast Guard volunteers a run for their money on Friday, April 2.
Unit 12 from Halfmoon Bay and Unit 14 from Gibsons were tasked out on Friday afternoon just before 3:30 p.m. to give assistance to a number of sailing vessels that were having difficulty participating in the annual Southern Straits sailing race.
Unit 12 media liaison Drew McKee said both units were tasked to assist several sailboats in trouble off the White Islets and Trail Islands.
He said Unit 14 encountered heavy seas, having to duck into the protection of Selma Park breakwater to make repairs to a malfunctioning engine, then headed back towards Gower Point, looking for a sailboat in distress off Camp Byng.
Unit 12's Ken Moore, with a crew of four, headed out into the storm from its base in Secret Cove.
"The wind, funneling through Welcome Passage, was very difficult to contend with, and the conditions pushed the limits of the vessel and crew to the very edge," said McKee. "The wind found its way under the bow on first entering the pass and from there on the vessel was forced to proceed at reduced speed."
He said the first sailboat encountered was a vessel in Halfmoon Bay just entering Welcome Passage with three people on board.
"When the Ken Moore went alongside the sailors were battered and worn and happy to see the rescue vessel," he said. "Unit 12 escorted the vessel to the calmer waters at the entrance to Secret Cove, then went out again in search of more victims of the storm."
He said the Ken Moore headed back through Welcome Pass and found the second sailboat off Merry Island with eight people on board. When the auxiliary came alongside, the boat had a storm jib up and had lost power. They were escorted a ways through Welcome Passage until they were in calmer waters and then the Ken Moore headed back towards the Trail Islands where a rescue Cormorant helicopter was making search patterns between Mission Point and Reception Point.
"The seas at this time were the most difficult, spilling cresting waves with the wind whipping the foam off the tops with sets of steep waves over 15 feet [five metres]," said McKee. "Communications were completely futile as the crew could hear some transmissions, but no one could hear Unit 12's transmissions. The unit cell phone didn't work, but luckily a crew member had a cell phone in his pocket, so the boat tucked in behind the second Trail Island out of the maelstrom and made contact with Comox Coast Guard radio wanting to know if the helicopter had found anything they wanted the crew to investigate."
McKee said a strobe sighting on Wakefield Beach was reported, but after a quick sweep of the area, nothing was found, and Unit 12 returned to base just after 6 p.m.
