A man was forced to wait almost two hours in a river for help, when rescue workers realized their truck had been drained of fuel.
Cowichan Search and Rescue believes gas had been siphoned from one of their rescue trucks, which was parked in a locked compound, according to a post on its Facebook page.
The truck had to be refuelled before responding to a call at 3 p.m. Friday reporting a fisherman stranded in the Cowichan River. The man’s boat had taken on water and sank about 10.7 metres from shore, upstream from Skutz Falls.
A second man managed to swim ashore.
The man in the river, who was dressed in hip waders and wearing a life jacket, managed to stay in one spot until he was rescued.
"This probably saved him from being washed down river," the Facebook post said.
"He was in remarkably good spirits."
Lake Cowichan Fire Department and B.C. Ambulance paramedics also responded to the call.
