Kamloops father-son kayaking duo rescues capsized boaters after Canada Day fireworks

A father-and-son duo in kayaks put their rescue skills to work on Canada Day when they pulled two people to shore after their boat capsized in the middle of the Thompson River in Kamloops, B.C.

Chris Carlson, 47, and his 16-year-old son, Ben, said they were kayaking along the river near the Overlanders Bridge on Saturday at around 10:30 p.m. PT, when they noticed an overturned boat with its occupants shouting for help.

They were in the water near the Sandbar Grill restaurant, which is located about 400 metres west of the bridge.

"[The restaurant was] playing live music for Canada Day, so you couldn't hear these people clearly until we got close," Carlson told host Shelley Joyce on CBC's Daybreak Kamloops.

"Ben and I paddled over there, and their boat was completely underwater when I got there … these two guys were like Leonardo DiCaprio [from the film Titantic] on top of it, just floating on there."

According to Kamloops Fire Rescue, there have been several drowning incidents in that area due to strong river currents.

'Dragging all the way to the shore'

Carlson recalled that one of the men admitted he couldn't swim, while the other had his foot tangled in a cord attached to the boat, preventing him from freeing himself.

Carlson instructed his son to stay with the two men while he attempted to retrieve their life jackets, which were floating about six metres away. 

Upon his return, he initially planned to secure the men to the kayaks using the life jackets as a makeshift rope. However, he changed his approach after one of the men managed to free his foot from the cord and release the metal gas canister attached to the boat's motor.

He decided to use the gas canister to pull the boat and the men to shore.

"I picked it up … and I'm like, 'Ben, hold this gas canister!'" he said. "[Ben] held the back of my boat at the same time, and then I just paddled as hard as I could towards the shore."

"[Ben] was exhausted. I felt like I wasn't moving at all — I was just dragging all the way to the shore."'

Ben, who had less than a year of kayaking experience, said "I was just trying to be as helpful as I could — just trying to listen, just not panic," he said.

'That river is always trying to kill you'

In an emailed statement to CBC News, the Kamloops RCMP confirmed receiving a report around 11 p.m. PT on Saturday about a 2.5-metre metal boat capsizing on the Thompson River. It said all three people on the boat were able to swim back to shore.

Carlson said he saw that one of the people, who he says is a woman, safely reached the shore first, standing in waist-deep water, before he began towing the men. 

Carlson said the men, who he estimated to be in their 30s or 40s, should have been aware of the risks of navigating a small boat unsuitable for the turbulent waters near the Overlanders Bridge,

"[The area] was pretty sketchy," he said. "That river is always trying to kill you, so be respectful of it."

Ben concurred, stating that the two men made a mistake by going on the water at night with no lights on the boat, relying solely on moonlight.

"I would not be in a lake boat in the middle of the river at night with no lights [on the boat] — they were being very dangerous."

In an emailed statement, Capt. Jamie Chase of Kamloops Fire Rescue stressed the importance of having proper navigation lights when boating after sunset and recommended that occupants wear life jackets at all times while on the water.

Chase also highlighted the following rules that all boaters should follow:

• Undergo basic training in safe boat operation.
• Ensure the vessel is suitable for adverse conditions and not overloaded.
• Avoid operating boats while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.