US Coast Guard Rescues Man, Two Dogs, From Stricken Sailboat Off Vancouver Island

An unidentified member of the United States Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles aircrew pets a dog on board his helicopter after the dog was airlifted from a sailboat that had washed onto rocks off Vancouver Island in a Dec. 28, 2022, handout photo. (The Canadian Press/HO-United States Coast Guard)

A sailor and his two dogs are recovering on Vancouver Island thanks to life-saving action by the United States Coast Guard.

The man and his canine companions were aboard a small sailboat off the southwest tip of Vancouver Island early Wednesday when it lost power and was swept onto rocks.

A social media post from the coast guard’s Pacific Northwest sector says a helicopter crew from Port Angeles in Washington state responded to the emergency.

They winched the man and one dog from the sailboat and delivered them to Victoria for treatment.

It wasn’t until the crew returned to the wreck to assess possible environmental damage that the second dog was spotted.

The coast guard says the pet was safely lifted off the sailboat and reunited with its owner.