A Cormorant helicopter was spotted flying low over the shoreline of Sechelt Inlet on Saturday, March 19, as volunteers searched the area.
The search was called off when they concluded that no one was in distress.
Earlier that morning, someone spotted a boat adrift near Poise Island with the keys still in the ignition but no one on board. The vessel of opportunity took it upon themselves to tow the boat back to the government dock and call for help.
The previous evening had been windy, and it’s not abnormal for vessels to break free of their moorage, Adam Hoult, the station leader of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM SAR) Station 12 (Halfmoon Bay), told Coast Reporter.
The crew determined early on that the vessel was derelict – the motors didn’t run and nothing would turn on – and under construction. They canvassed the area and spoke to other boaters.
The Cormorant was dispatched from Comox to sweep the shoreline up to Snake Bay, and gave the all-clear. The boat has been secured at the government dock with a notice attached.
“It was more of a detective job than a search and rescue on the weekend,” Hoult said.
