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RCMP Shiprider and US Coast Guard Rescue 12 Kayakers, Including Six Children, off San Juan Islands

The operation highlights how the Canada–US Shiprider program enables swift cross-border response to maritime emergencies

All 12 individuals were safely rescued and transported back to Orcas Island
RCMP and U.S. Coast Guard members pose for a group picture in an undated handout image. The RCMP team, which was patrolling the waters near the border between Canada and the United States in coordination with the USCG as part of the Canada-U.S. Shiprider program, has helped rescue a group of 12 kayakers, six of them children. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — RCMP (Mandatory Credit)
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Overview

  • At about 1:50 p.m. last Thursday the US Coast Guard issued a distress call reporting six kayaks with two families between Patos and Sucia islands
  • An RCMP Shiprider patrol vessel already in the area teamed up with a USCG Shiprider crew and a Washington State Parks boat to evacuate the group
  • The party of 12, including six children, was safely transported to Orcas Island with no injuries reported
  • The kayakers had been on an overnight guided tour before encountering conditions that exceeded their capabilities and prompted them to seek assistance
  • Insp. Jim Leonard said the rescue shows that although enforcement is Shiprider’s main mission, its personnel can quickly address life-threatening situations