Dramatic moment kayaker rescues capsized man who had been clinging to his boat ‘for at least 45 minutes’ in a Canadian lake
- Sally Wallick was kayaking in Okanagan Lake in Kelowna, British Columbia
- She came across a man she believed had been clinging to boat for 45 minutes
- Sally was concerned by the capsized man’s condition as his lips were purple
- Remained calm and asked him to grab on to boat so she could paddle to shore
- Rescue attempt took a dramatic turn when her own boat tipped over
- She flagged down another boat which took the man to shore for help
This is the dramatic moment a kayaker resued a capsized man who had been clinging onto his boat in a Canadian lake.
Sally Wallick was filming herself out on her kayak in late April when she came across a capsized man who she believed had been clinging to his boat for at least 45 minutes.
She was concerned by the man’s condition and in the clip, the kayaker went over to the man and asked whether he was okay and how long he had been in Okanagan Lake in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Sally told Global News: ‘I noticed right away he wasn’t really okay. I tried to keep it light not to panic him. He was past the point of…being panicky which was concerning.
Sally Wallick was filming herself out on her kayak in late April when she came across a capsized man (top left) who she believed had been clinging to his boat for at least 45 minutes
‘I tried to keep it light, but inside I was like, ‘Oh no, this guy needs help right away.’
Before reaching him, she had phoned to arrange for help on shore when they returned.
Sally told the man, whose lips she said were turning purple, to grab onto her boat and that they were going to leave his kayak.
She remained calm, telling him that they would leave his kayak and find it later when it washed up on the shore.
Sally urged the capsized kayaker to grab her boat, warning him that it was ‘tippy’ and taking his phone as he grabbed on.
Sally told the man, whose lips she said were turning purple, to grab onto her boat and that they were going to leave his kayak
She asked the man to grab on to the front of her boat, so that she could see him as she reminded him to breathe and keep his eyes open.
The man then helped Sally to turn her boat around so that they could get back to the shore. She told him to kick his legs ‘to keep warm’.
As Sally paddles back to shore and the man holds on to the front of the boat, she calls out that he is doing a good job.
Sally later recalled that the man’s eyes started closing and he started to go limp, as she questioned what she should do next as he was about to let go of the boat.
As the boat careers in a different direction to where Sally wants to go, she suggests they try another method and asks him to lean on her boat.
She asked the man to grab on to the front of her boat, so that she could see him as she reminded him to breathe and keep his eyes open as Sally paddled back to shore
However, the rescue attempt then takes a dramatic turn as she asks him to lie across her kayak, resulting in her getting tipped into the water too.
The footage shows that Sally remained calm, reassuring the man it was okay and flagging down another boat, which took the man to shore. The man survived and Sally doesn’t believe he was seriously injured.
Sally said that the man had all the right things but was very unlucky that the weather switched unpredictably.
As the boat careers in a different direction to where Sally wants to go, she suggests they try another method and asks him to lean on her boat but this causes her to get tipped out of the boat
She believes he got into trouble when the wind picked up on what had been a calm day, and wants it to be a safety lesson to everybody that the weather can change unpredictably.
Sally said you should have someone in the water with you and people on shore who know you are out in the water.
The lake in Kelowna is 84 miles long and between 2.5 and 3 miles wide.
The footage shows that Sally remained calm, reassuring the man it was okay and flagging down another boat, which took the man to shore. The man survived and Sally doesn’t believe he was seriously injured
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