Fatal distress call re-opens debate on the closure of the Kitsilano coast guard station

A dramatic scene played out on the waters of English Bay today when the Coast Guard responded to a call on a cargo ship.

Shortly after 4 o’clock this afternoon, the coast guard was called out to the cargo ship Osakana, where a man on board was in cardiac arrest.

The coast guard left from their station on Sea Island in Richmond, and it took them 20 minutes to get there.

Paramedics were also called to assist, but it took them nearly 40 minutes to reach the cargo ship because they needed to be picked up by the police boat at the now vacant Kitsilano coast guard station.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The man who suffered cardiac arrest did not survive.

In the past, paramedics were able to go with the coast guard from the Kitsilano base instead of waiting to hitch a ride with police who — in this case — came all the way from the Main Street station.

The coast guard union says if the Kitsilano coast guard base was still pen, the response time would have been much faster.

“We are probably talking about a 15-minute difference,” Union of Canadian Transportation Employees B.C. spokesman Bill Tieleman told Global News. “We do not know for sure what would have happened with the medical condition, but anything like that, whether it is a heart attack or someone falling into cold water, 15 minutes can make a life-or-death difference in those circumstances.”

Dan Bate, the communications officer for the Canadian Coast Guard, told Global News today re-opening the station is not on the government’s radar.

When asked about the response time, he said the 20 minutes it took to reach the ship was a good time, but wouldn’t speculate on how quickly the coast guard may have gotten there from the old Kitsilano base.