What was supposed to be a birthday getaway on Rice Lake turned into a lengthy water rescue Wednesday after three Toronto friends struggled to return to their cottage, with one spending about an hour holding onto an overturned kayak.
Lola DeClerck was celebrating her 21st birthday with Breanna Zammit, 21, and Joey Lake, 24, during a stay at Adventure Bay Cottages.
The three had gone kayaking from the cottage earlier in the morning, with DeClerck and Zammit sharing a tandem kayak and Lake using a single kayak.
After several hours on the water, the friends realized they were having trouble navigating back to the cottage. Lake, who DeClerck described as the most experienced kayaker, returned to help.
By then, conditions on Rice Lake were deteriorating, with stronger winds and increasingly large waves making it difficult to paddle.
The friends eventually connected their kayaks, but Lake’s vessel took on water and overturned.
Lake was left in the lake, holding onto the kayak while DeClerck and Zammit struggled to manoeuvre the waterlogged boats.
The situation continued for roughly an hour as the group drifted away from where they had started.
The friends tried attracting attention by waving their paddles, shouting and using their whistles, but no one responded.
With Lake unable to get back into the kayak, DeClerck eventually called 911. Her cellphone had only about three per cent battery remaining.
The call prompted a multi-agency emergency response.
Hamilton Township firefighters were dispatched, while another person on shore also called for help after spotting what appeared to be someone struggling on a raft.
That second call resulted in Alnwick/Haldimand Township firefighters being dispatched with rescue boats. Northumberland OPP and Northumberland County paramedics also responded.
Crews located the three friends and brought them safely to Harwood Dock. Paramedics assessed all three and determined they did not require further medical attention.
DeClerck says the experience underscored the importance of being prepared for changing conditions on the water.
All three friends were wearing lifejackets and carrying whistles.
(Richard Evans)
