Coast guard officials in the United States and Canada joined forces Sunday to rescue a group of 11 kayakers who reported being in distress while paddling on Lake Ontario.
U.S.officials said they received a mayday call from the kayakers at about 3:52 a.m.
In the distress call, U.S. Coast Guard officials say the kayakers reported that two members of their group were suffering symptoms of hypothermia.
A rescue boat crew arrived on scene at about 4:50 a.m. and began to treat the two apparently ill kayakers, officials said. A Canadian Coast Guard vessel arrived on scene shortly after.
All of the kayakers received medical check-ups back at Niagara-on-the-Lake, U.S. officials said.
U.S. Coast Guard officials said the kayakers were wearing shorts, t-shirts and life jackets when they were discovered. The water temperature was about 22 C (73 F) at the time.
Toronto police said two of the kayakers were reported missing from the larger group, which was journeying from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. to Toronto.
Authorities located the two teenaged boys at about 8:30 a.m., Capt. Jean Houde of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton, Ont. told the Canadian Press.
The two had tied themselves together to avoid drifting away from each other.
Jacky Su, one of the missing kayakers, described the experience to CP24.
“Everything’s cut off. I don’t have any support. I don’t have any back-up. All I have is a few safety devices like flare guns, glow sticks and flashlights,” he said.
However, Su said that it was a slight comfort to have a friend next to him.
With files from The Canadian Press
