A Nanaimo man was rescued after his boat ran aground on July 19 in Nanoose Bay and he then collapsed on nearby rocks.
Nanaimo RCMP Sgt. Jon Stuart said the exact time of the crash was undetermined, but that it happened sometime before 8 a.m on Sunday. That’s around when they were called in for support by the Coast Guard.
“Sounds like they received several calls about a boat that had run aground on the breakwater near the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation campground,” said Stuart. “Our officers went there to secure the scene and take a look and they were able to locate a male in his 40s unconscious near the boat, so the fire [crews] and EHS moved in to take care of him.”
The man is believed to have been operating the boat during the night, crashed, and then left his vessel before collapsing. The tide then went out, exposing the boat on the rocks.
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Tom Bob, Snaw-Naw-As councillor, said the breakwater is clearly marked and that someone running aground in that area is “highly unusual.”
“We have two markers out there,” he said. “There’s a green can buoy that flashed green and a lighthouse on the other side of the bay that flashes red – that’s where you’re supposed to go through.”
Stuart said the extent of the man’s injuries are not known, but added they are not life-threatening.
