Duncan firefighters were thrust into action Saturday evening with two different but concurrent call-outs.
Just before 5 p.m. firefighters from North Cowichan’s South End Hall were paged out to help RCMP with a rescue at the Cowichan River near Vimy Beach.
A call came in that two occupants of a boat had fallen into the rapidly moving water and were struggling to get out. As the South End crews were arriving to meet police and paramedics at Vimy, the pair managed to scramble back into the boat.
As darkness fell, the duo, cold and exhausted from the ordeal which hadn’t yet ended, continued to be pushed eastbound by the raging river, toward what’s known as the White Bridge near the intersection of Allenby and Indian Roads.
That’s within the Duncan firefighters’ service area so that crew was called out to stage at the bridge.
Shortly after they arrived and set up, the Duncan crew was called out to a chimney fire on Fairbridge Road.
Without skipping a beat, chief Mike McKinley diverted a portion of his crew to the second call.
Meanwhile, a fire rescue boat was deployed to follow the other vessel.
Around 5:30 p.m. firefighters got word from RCMP the occupants of the boat were able to make it to shore somewhere upriver.
Fire crews were stood down.
More to come as it becomes available