Ocean Warriors: Mission Ready

Ahousaht’s Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary team has extensive search and rescue training and a vessel that’s equipped with the latest marine technology. These are critical assets as they race to find a sinking fishing boat with a man overboard.

Every marine search and rescue mission begins with a catastrophe on the water, from capsized boats to lost kayakers. Ahousaht’s Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary team searches for a diver who became separated from his diving partner.

Ahousaht’s Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary team is highly qualified to carry out marine rescues and promote water safety. There are times when their mission is to support the members of their community, including youth who are considered at risk.

The First Nations communities along B.C.’s coastal waterways have been expert mariners and boat builders for thousands of years. This history makes the Ahousaht Nation a formidable search and rescue team on Vancouver Island’s rugged western coastline.

After a long day of patrolling the waterways in Quatsino Sound, the Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary team is tasked with searching for two missing kayakers. As night falls and temperatures drop, the search for the kayakers becomes an urgent mission.

Under optimal weather conditions, the Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary’s rescue boat can travel up to 50 knots an hour. With that power, the Quatsino team heads to a remote inlet to check on an Elder whose family is concerned about their wellbeing.