COMOX, B.C. — The RCMP has taken over the search for a missing kayaker who fell into waters off the east coast of Vancouver Island late Saturday night.
Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue says two young men launched their kayaks from Union Bay with a plan to paddle to the nearby Tree Island around 11 p.m.
The men ended up in the water and one of the two made it to shore to signal an alarm for help.
Search manager Paul Berry says rescue teams and the coast guard worked through the night and while they located the kayaks much further north from where the pair entered the water, they could not find the missing man.
Berry says the search has been handed over to police who were to send in dive teams.
The man who made it to shore was treated for hypothermia in hospital and has since been released.
Weather conditions were mild at the time but Berry says the men were not using ocean kayaks and warns other outdoor enthusiasts to always carry appropriate gear and supplies.
