To Someone On Shore A “Paddler Is A Paddler”
On June 19th the weather on Northern Georgian Bay was as follows:
-Winds were NE at 10-15 knots
-Waves were out of the North at .5M-1M
-Cloud cover was 2/8 coverage
-Water temp was 11 Degrees Celsius
-Visibility was unlimited
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) was advised through the 911 system that a person on shore had seen a person on a stand up paddle board far off shore and it looked as though the paddle boarder was having difficulty returning to land. As per policy a MAYDAY was immediately broadcasted on VHF Channel 16 for any vessels in the vicinity to render aid. Coast Guard Tobermory was contacted to respond, but a private sail boat also answered the call for assistance and immediately altered course to assist. The sailing vessel being in the immediate vicinity, made it to the “casualty” within minutes of the MAYDAY being broadcast.
Luckily the paddle boarder was not in distress and did not need assistance. This was relayed to the JRCC via the sail boats VHF radio and the MAYDAY was silenced.
These are the facts of the events of June 19 2021.
The reality is that the system worked as it was designed. For the record, no one should feel discouraged to report suspected persons in danger. Georgian Bay is a cold and unforgiving body of water. Every year people are lost participating in water sports of all kinds. In 2020 there were a total of 108 people lost just to drowning while swimming in the Great Lakes. We at the Canadian Coast Guard base Tobermory would rather inconvenience a “paddler” by checking on them, than have to explain to their family why we can’t find them, or how they died of hypothermia, or drowning.
I understand that there were a few tense minutes for the author of the letter “May Day” printed in Issue ten of this publication. The sailors that responded to the distress call on his behalf were not SAR professionals. They were private citizens doing their best. This man’s condemnation of their efforts to save his life is quite frankly, shameful. Also suggesting that the general public should think twice before calling for assistance when they see what they think is a person in peril is ridiculous. Seeing a paddle boarder that far off shore is unusual. The water temp, time of year and weather conditions that day also probably contributed to the decision to make the call.
All reported cases of distress are fully investigated through the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. The case is vetted, and if found to be credible, assets are tasked to investigate and render aid if necessary. This includes issuing a “MAYDAY” broadcast on behalf of the suspected person/vessel in peril on the VHF radio system. This is how Search and Rescue is managed in North America. It’s not a perfect system. Sometimes we do have false reports and we expend resources running down cases that lead to no distress or aid needed. But what is the alternative? In the Coast Guard we “go until we know”. Better that than having to live with a preventable death.
We at Coast Guard station Tobermory would like to thank the person who reported the suspected paddle boarder in distress, and the sailors who responded to the MAYDAY call.
Stay Safe,
The SAR Professionals at Canadian Coast Guard Base Tobermory
