Brian Angus and Dorothy Stauffer were sailing from Vancouver to Saturna Island on Sunday when they spotted people in the water.
“I looked over on the starboard side to see a person in the water, and then two more,” Angus said. Stauffer initially saw five individuals total. The couple, both trained in the aviation industry, immediately issued a Mayday. The Victoria Coast Guard responded, but no other vessels were nearby.
Angus made a tactical decision to rescue the three closest victims. They deployed a dinghy on a floating line 50 feet behind the sailboat. Stauffer commanded the screaming woman closest to them to swim toward the line while Angus navigated the 15-knot winds and two-meter swells. None of the victims were wearing life-jackets.
Once the three hypothermic survivors were clinging to the dinghy, a Coast Guard hovercraft arrived. Rescuers jumped into the water to pluck the two men and one woman to safety. It took nearly 20 minutes to secure the victims. A fourth person was rescued by another party.
Richmond RCMP confirmed a 26-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman have been discharged, while a 33-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman remain in critical condition. The search for the remaining two men and two women is now a recovery effort.
“We just have one simple message: if you’re going on the water, wear your life-jacket,” Stauffer said.