Searchers from North Cowichan’s South End and Crofton fire halls are working together with rowers from the Maple Bay Rowing Club, and Rowing Canada to search for a missing rower.
First responders were called to Quamichan Lake on Tuesday morning just after 10 a.m. to search for a man lost on the lake.
Rescue crews later found the man’s boat, a rowing scull, empty.
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP, victim services, B.C. Emergency Health Service crews were also set up at Art Mann Park, and a police helicopter as well as Cowichan Search and Rescue were brought in around noon.
It’s believed the man is in his 60s and a rower with the Maple Bay Rowing Club.
Search crews were scouring the area at the far east end of the lake, as well as the surrounding shoreline.
By 1:15 p.m. crews from the two fire halls had yielded to Cowichan Search and Rescue, according to North Cowichan fire chief Martin Drakeley.
He said the RCMP had taken over the operation and had called in their marine division, which included boats and divers. The marine division is Nanaimo based and Cowichan Search and Rescue, along with other boats and the helicopter continued to search while the marine unit was en route.