Hypothermic man found submerged and clinging to piling in Cowichan Bay water rescue [Video]

A boater is grateful for the services of local rescue groups after being left stranded in the cold waters of Cowichan Bay after his vessel capsized.

Crews were called to a report of an overturned boat in the bay, located on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island, around 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon, said Mark Winfield of the Sar-34, Cowichan Bay Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue station.

Winfield said they arrived to find the capsized vessel “pretty quickly” but were unable to locate the man.

“There were bits in the water floating around the boat, but no sign of the person,” said Winfield.

“We went towards the industrial dock on the estuary, the closest point where someone might swim to, and as soon as we got there, we saw someone clinging onto the piling,” he said.

Clutching onto the steel piling, the man was still “fully submerged up to …