Rescued from sinking raft

A man was rescued from the ocean near Oak Bay Marina early Tuesday after trying to get to his moored sailboat on a makeshift raft of branches.

Oak Bay police responded about 12:45 a.m. after receiving a report that someone was yelling from the water.

Police spotted a person clinging to a sailboat and calling for assistance, and notified the coast guard.

“One officer made verbal contact to reassure him, while another activated sirens to alert any nearby live-aboard residents who might assist while waiting for the coast guard rescue boat,” police said in a statement.

Another officer met with the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue team when it arrived.

But as preparations were underway to launch, a liveaboard occupant took a small dinghy to assist the man, police said.

The man was pulled from the water and taken to waiting B.C. Emergency Health Services paramedics on shore, who treated him and took him to Royal Jubilee Hospital for further examination.

The Oak Bay Fire Department was also at the scene.

Police visited the man in hospital to get more details about his failed effort to get to his boat.

The man, who didn’t have a dinghy, said he was too cold to get himself aboard the sailboat once he got there, and expressed gratitude to everyone involved in his rescue.

“We commend the excellent response from the RCMSAR, coast guard, EHS, and Oak Bay Fire Department,” Oak Bay police Deputy Chief Kris Rice said. “Their co-ordinated efforts ensured a swift and effective rescue. This incident highlights the importance of water safety and the need for proper equipment when venturing out on the water.”