Man missing at sea for 2 weeks rescued by Canadian fishing boat
- Two fishermen disappeared off the Washington coast Oct. 12
- Coast Guard announced one of the missing sailors has been found alive
- The fate of the other person aboard the vessel is unknown
Photo of the life raft (Credit: U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest)
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(NewsNation) — A Canadian fishing boat rescued an American sailor who had been missing for roughly two weeks.
Two fishermen disappeared after leaving Grays Harbor off the Washington coast on Oct. 12. It was intended to return Oct. 15.
The U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest on Oct. 24 launched a search for the 43-foot vessel Evening with two people aboard. The following day, the agency suspended its hunt for the missing vessel.
“Crews searched over 14,000 square miles for over 8 hours,” the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest tweeted. “Our sincerest condolences go out to the family of the missing people during this difficult time.”
On Oct. 26, the Coast Guard announced that good Samaritans found one of the two missing sailors alive about 70 miles northwest of Cape Flattery.
Canada-based Ocean Sunset spotted a covered life raft drifting in the ocean off the west coast of Vancouver Island. They discovered the man, who has not been identified by authorities, conscious on the raft from the Evening fishing boat.
“We pulled him on board. He gave me a big hug and it was emotional,” one of the Canadian fishermen told KING 5.
The fisherman told the outlet the man said he had been alone on the raft for 13 days and that he caught a salmon and ate it to survive.
The Canadian Coast Guard took the man to shore and reported he is in stable condition. The fate of the other person aboard Evening is unknown.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
