Partially submerged sailboat among 3 tasks Vernon Search and Rescue sent to Friday night

A partially submerged sailboat in Okanagan Lake was one of three tasks Vernon Search and Rescue attended to on Friday night.

“Thankfully the boat turned out to be abandoned and no one was onboard,” Vernon Search and Rescue (VSAR) said on Saturday.

But while attending that incident, VSAR said it was then tasked to help find someone in the Vernon area. However, they were stood down before volunteers were deployed.

Then, VSAR said while the boat crew was mooring and ground crews were returning, they were then asked to help locate another missing person, this time in an area just north of Vernon.

“Members responded on bikes, in vehicles and on foot to search a large and often overgrown area,” said Search and Rescue. “We were eventually stood down for the night despite being unable to locate our subject.”

VSAR said team members were heading home shortly before 2 a.m.

2:21 Spike in rescue calls in the Okanagan during pandemic

“We would like to thank the members of the public that called for help and assisted us by providing information regarding these tasks,” said VSAR.

Earlier this week, VSAR rescued a group of three men after an evening float left them stranded in the middle of Okanagan Lake.

And in the South Okanagan, Penticton Search and Rescue says it was called to a half-dozen tasks during a 17-day span earlier this month.

For more information about Vernon Search and Rescue, visit their website.

2:22 Construction begins on base for Shuswap marine search and rescue