Heroic Rescue in Treacherous Waters
Brian Angus and Dorothy Stauffer, a B.C. couple with decades of sailing experience, transformed their dinghy into a makeshift liferaft to rescue three people from the Strait of Georgia on Sunday. The survivors were hypothermic, barely coherent, and not wearing life-jackets. They managed only one word: “Help.”
Details of the Sinking
The trio were among 10 people believed to have been aboard a charter boat that sank near Roberts Bank, about 10 nautical miles southwest of Vancouver International Airport, around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, according to local RCMP. Four people were rescued; another four men and two women remain missing and are presumed drowned, turning the search into a recovery effort.
How the Rescue Unfolded
Angus and Stauffer, sailing partners for 33 years, were aboard their sailboat Malaika when Angus spotted a man in the water holding up a cellphone and waving. He then saw two more, and then two more beyond them—five people with no boat or debris in sight. With seas running up to two-and-a-half metres, too rough to throw a life-ring, the couple trailed their dinghy on a 50-foot line, turning it into a liferaft. Angus, a retired Air Canada captain, called in a mayday to the Victoria Coast Guard while Stauffer furled the sail.
Emergency Training in Action
Stauffer, a flight service director with Air Canada for 37 years, relied on her emergency training. She first helped a screaming woman reach the dinghy and cling to its stern. The couple then circled back for two men—one floating on his back, the other barely responsive. Angus had to swing the dinghy line until it caught the man by the neck and shoulders before he took hold. It took 18 minutes to get all three to the dinghy.
Survivors' Account and Aftermath
According to Sing Tao Daily Canada, all on board were of Chinese descent. Survivors said the captain, aged 23, was at the helm when two massive waves struck the vessel. Water poured through a side door, flooding the entire boat, which sank bow-first. There was no time to send a distress signal. The missing four men and two women, including the captain, had no chance to escape. The boat was an aluminum KingFisher boat.
A Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft, the Siyay, arrived as the last person took hold of the dinghy. Its crew lifted the men from the water and the woman from the dinghy, then cut the dinghy loose and took over.
Emotional Impact
“I’ll never forget the woman’s face in the water when she was screaming help,” Stauffer said. “That’ll be imprinted there for the rest of my life.”
