Vancouver Fire officials state that the unidentified male would not have survived this incident without a life jacket

At about 4:20 pm Saturday (June 8), Clark County 9-1-1 received a call from a boater in distress. The caller indicated that his kayak was sinking in the middle of Vancouver Lake. 

Responding crews learned that the person was wearing an appropriate personal floatation device and was with another boater. They used their cell phone to call for help and coordinate the rescue. 

Crews from Vancouver Fire Department with the assistance of the Clark County Regional Technical Rescue team deployed a boat from the Vancouver Lake Sailing Club and were able to rescue both the male in the water and the other boater and return them to shore. Once there, the male refused medical care. 

Clark County Fire District 6 responded to assist in the rescue. The male would not have survived this incident without a life jacket. Vancouver Fire would like to remind citizens recreating in our waterways that temperatures are still cold enough to incapacitate a person in the water. 

Information provided by the Vancouver Fire Department.