A soaking wet server apologized to her customers at a waterfront pub on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast last week, explaining why she had jumped into the ocean and swam past their tables before taking their orders and finishing her shift. Crystal Bakaluk was working at the Lighthouse Pub in Sechelt on Thursday, getting close to clocking out for the night when a co-worker approached her in a panic asking if they had a net they could use to save a drowning baby raccoon. “The little raccoon was flailing on its back, screaming, and in a few seconds, the screaming stopped, and it went under. So, I went in,” Bakaluk told CTV News. After lowering herself gently to prevent making waves, she swam over and scooped up the animal. “As I swam back, I gave him a few little pumps on the chest with my thumb, and he let out a tiny little cough, and then I handed him off,” she recalled, also noting the raccoon was “covered in starfish.” Unable to get enough purchase to hoist herself back onto the dock, Bakaluk had to swim the length of the pub’s patio, passing her section, before she could get herself out of the water. Once she’d said sorry to her tables, she called her husband Jesse Stretch and asked him to bring her a change of clothes and told him why. “I’m picking up her clothes, I’m sitting there on their phone, I just I stopped, and I went, ‘Wait, you’re not messing with me, are you?’” he told CTV News. Stretch, a volunteer with Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 12, rushed to the pub, handed off the clothes and pitched in with the rescue effort by drawing on his first aid training. “A mammal is a mammal. Water doesn’t belong in its lungs,” he said, explaining he used the same techniques as he would for a human in similar distress. “I felt terrible for him. I was actually quite shocked how much water was in his lungs, and he was still managing to breathe.” ‘Never heard that one before’ Roughly 15 kilometres away, in Halfmoon Bay, a woman who has responded to her fair share of animal emergencies over the past four decades received what she called a “very unique” phone call from Stretch, who brought her up to speed on the situation. “I’ve never heard that one before,” said Tammy Trefry, who runs Coastal Wildlife Rescue and Conflict Resource Services. “I didn’t question how it had happened, I just said, ‘I’m on my way.’” While the situation itself came as a surprise, Bakaluk’s actions didn’t. “She’s a very avid animal lover, very soft hearted. And I’m not surprised one iota that she chose to drop everything and dive in,” Trefry said. When Trefry arrived Bakaluk was in the middle of taking a drink order, her wet shoes still making a “squishing” sound, hair still sopping. Looking around, Trefry could see how many people had rallied around the raccoon, how invested the pub’s staff and patrons and even passersby were in the rescue. But things were not looking good for the kit, who was clearly in shock and had taken in a lot of water. The baby raccoon was lethargic and likely hypothermic. “I actually didn’t want to get their hopes up, but I said, ‘We’ll do whatever we can,’” Trefry said, explaining that the plan was to get the animal on a plane and ultimately to Critter Care Wildfire Rescue in Metro Vancouver. Trefry took the raccoon home where she monitored it overnight, keeping it warm awake and stimulated – all the while with it’s “butt in the air” to encourage any remaining water to drain. Still, she was not optimistic. In the morning, Bakaluk came to say goodbye to the raccoon. “He reacted the second she touched him. It was really fascinating to watch. He started talking, and he was nuzzling her face,” Trefry said. “We were laughing because he was just loving on her.” Float plane acts as animal air ambulance Next, Trefry boarded a floatplane flight to Metro Vancouver – something she says she’s done countless times over the years, free-of-charge thanks to Harbour Air. A spokesperson for the company said the raccoon’s safety was prioritized throughout the journey and confirmed its history of helping out in situations like these. “We are always ready to assist wherever possible. In the past, this has included eagles and other birds of prey, sick seal pups, and even a cougar cub,” a statement form Harbour Air said. “Supporting wildlife rescue and rehabilitation is a responsibility we value deeply, and we are honoured to play a small role in protecting B.C.’s diverse wildlife.” The raccoon, escorted by Trefry, arrived safely at Critter Care Wildlife Rescue. But Trefry said she felt “very reserved” when she called to check on its condition, only to be informed the kit survived. In a statement to CTV News, Critter Care said the kit, a male estimated to be around seven-weeks old, is being bottle fed around the clock and is “doing well.” Overwhelming response Bakaluk says she’s been overwhelmed with the outpouring of thanks she’s received, saying she didn’t expect any recognition beyond “a few high fives at the time.” In the days since the story was first shared on social media, Bakaluk has received heaps of praise, a bouquet of flowers dropped off at the pub with a hand-drawn card, an offer to help pay for the cost of the animal’s care, and numerous inquiries from people at the pub asking if she is the “raccoon girl.” Similarly, Trefry says she has a hard time walking down the street of downtown Sechelt without being asked about the rescued raccoon by a concerned community member. “He just became his own little celebrity,” she said. But the thing that sticks out most to those involved is how many people pulled together to make the rescue a success. “It was amazing because of the entire community pulling together, all for one little tiny creature that ended up in a really bad spot,” Trefry said. “It was a group effort, all of it,” said Bakaluk.
