Galiano Island rescue: Family of 7 had 4 life-jackets

A family of five children and two adults had only four life-jackets when they were plucked from the frigid waters of the Georgia Strait Monday night after their fishing boat overturned, the coast guard says.

All seven were transported safely to the coast guard's Sea Island station in Richmond, B.C., and released after being checked at a local hospital. The children are aged three to 16.

• Coast guard saves 7 from sinking fishing boat

The coast guard says the family was relocating from Delta, located just south of Vancouver, to a community up the coast, and had put all their possessions in a newly-purchased 10-metregillnet fishing boat for the trip.

But around 8 p.m. PT the vessel began taking on water near the entrance of Porlier Pass, a potentially rough section of water because of the strong tidal rapids between Valdesand Galiano islands in Georgia Strait.

The family issued a mayday call by radio saying the vessel was sinkingand officials launcheda rescue effort by air and sea.

The Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft Siyay was dispatched along with two coast guard auxiliary vessels, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and a lifeboat from Ganges, B.C., on Salt Spring Island.

BC Ferries spokesmanDarinGuenette saidtwo BCFerries vessels were also diverted to respond to the call. The Spirit of Vancouver Island was leaving Active Pass en routetoTsawwassenwhen it was diverted, while the Queen ofCowichanwasdiverted from its trip to Horseshoe Bay.

Ron MacDougall, acting sub-lieutenant with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria, said the hovercraft arrived first to find the vessel barely afloat.

He said it looked as ifthe boat had overturned but not yet sunk.

"Basically how I understand it is that they just clung on board, to the bottom of the vessel," he said.

"I think the vessel overturned and they clung onto it for 25 minutes, which is quite amazing, and it's a great end to what could have been a very tragic story."

Coast guard spokeswomanSusan Pickrell saidthe two parents and five children had only four life-preservers among them and the children were near hypothermia when they were rescued.

Pickrell said that by the time the hovercraft transported the family back to its Sea Island station, they were in pretty good shape and all were released after being examined at Richmond Hospital.

The swamped boat was towed to nearby Galiano Island.

Google Maps: Porlier Pass, Georgia Strait