Kayakers rescued in storm

As the wettest storm in recent memory wreaked havoc on the North Shore, a group of kayakers decided it was high time for a paddle.

But that quickly landed them in deep water.

Just after 4 p.m. on Sunday, North Vancouver RCMP got a report of someone floating in the Seymour River.

RCMP responded on land and by sea on the detachment’s police boat, along with Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue and DNV Fire and Rescue Services.

There was a total of six kayakers in distress, said Const. Mansoor Sahak of the North Van RCMP. Some of them made it out of the water near Dollarton Highway and Riverside Drive, but some fell into the water or their boats capsized.

Police deployed a drone to locate the floating kayakers, and rescuers were able to recover them from the water, Sahak said. All six were found and brought in without injury.

Sahak said he wasn’t sure why the kayakers went out during the atmospheric river storm, which caused widespread flooding across the region.

“I don’t know what was going through their heads, but it was extremely dangerous,” he said. “The water was so high and so aggressive – this well could have been a fatal incident.”

With the extreme weather, it could have been difficult to get out the police helicopter and spot the floating kayakers.

“It shows how handy it is to have an RPAS (remote piloted aircraft system) that can be readily deployed,” Sahak said.

Overall, it’s been a challenging weekend for many on the North Shore who have been affected by the torrent of rainfall, he said.

“Nobody was injured – that’s the most important thing,” Sahak said.