In an extraordinary turn of events, one of the two men missing at sea for nearly two weeks was discovered alive by a Canadian fishing boat, clinging to a life raft in Canadian waters, approximately 70 miles northwest of Cape Flattery, Washington, as reported by CNN.
The remarkable rescue took place on Thursday, according to US Coast Guard spokesperson, Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier. He expressed amazement at the man’s resilience, stating, “The fact that he was in this life raft for multiple days, still maintained hope, and was eventually found by a more or less random fishing boat was incredible and just a miraculous thing.” Strohmaier added, “The ocean is a very vast place. He was floating in the middle of nowhere. A lot of times, it is pretty infrequent to have a vessel passing by.”
The Coast Guard was initially alerted to the missing fishing vessel on Sunday. The vessel had departed from Westport, Washington, on October 12 and was scheduled to return on October 15. However, it failed to do so, prompting concern and ultimately leading to the search operation.
The rescued mariner, found in Canadian waters, was promptly assisted by a Canadian fishing boat. The Good Samaritan vessel radioed the Canadian Coast Guard, who then took him back to shore for immediate medical attention. At the hospital, he was reported to be in stable condition.
It’s important to note that, at this time, the search for the second missing individual is ongoing. The incident remains under investigation, and the US Coast Guard is working in collaboration with the Canadian authorities to gather more information. They will determine the next steps based on the accounts and statements provided by the rescued mariner.
Earlier this week, the US Coast Guard utilized social media platform X to raise awareness about the missing vessel, emphasizing, “USCG searching for the 43-foot vessel Evening with 2 people aboard, which departed Grays Harbor October 12 and reportedly intended to return October 15.” Subsequently, after extensive search efforts covering over 14,000 square miles for more than 8 hours, the service announced a temporary suspension of the search, pending any new developments or information.
