Man rescued in frigid waters off Malpeque, P.E.I.

A man who fell overboard was rescued from the cold waters off Malpeque on P.E.I.'s North Shore Tuesday morning.

The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax received a call from 911 in P.E.I. about a report of a man who had fallen into the water from his boat. They immediately dispatched air and water rescue crews and located the man after two hours.

"He had been treading water for about two hours at that point," saidCanadian Armed Forces Joint Task Force Atlanticpublic affairs officer Maj. AmberBineau.

"He wasn't wearing a life vest nor was he hanging on to any kind of a floatation device."

Man rescued off Malpeque, P.E.I. (Donnie MacKenzie/Facebook)

6 years ago

Duration 0:48

Man rescued off Malpeque, P.E.I. (Donnie MacKenzie/Facebook)

Man was 'responsive'

Search and Rescue technicians hoisted the man into a helicopter and flew him to an ambulance waiting at nearby Cabot Beach Provincial Park.

According to Bineau, the water temperature was 10 C at the time.

"The person was responsive at the time," Bineau said, but she had no other details on the man's condition.

Several Coast Guard fast boats, an auxiliary boat and a Hercules aircraft were also involved in the search, she said.

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With files from Jessica Doria-Brownand Sally Pitt