Two women were treated for hypothermia after they were recovered from the Nanaimo River Estuary on the weekend.
Both fast-response vessels scrambled from the Nanaimo Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 27 after receiving a mayday call Sunday at 12 a.m. about a lost clamming party stranded by the rising tide on the estuary.
Jerry Berry, RCM SAR coxswain, said several people were out gathering clams at low tide. Their boat drifted away when the tide rose, leaving them stranded.
“There was a little boat that came out from [Snuneymuxw First Nation] and had actually found them when we got to them,” Berry said.
Due to the tide and water depth, both RCM SAR boats worked together and two women, whom Berry said were “very cold,” were transferred to the RCM SAR J.C. McGregor rescue boat.
Both women were taken to Nanaimo Boat Basin and then taken by ambulance to be treated for hypothermia at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
The Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft was dispatched to the scene as overall commander and RCMP also responded.