Man rescued from Fraser River after capsizing

The man was uninjured, and he declined medical care upon returning to shore. (CTV)

Luke Uytdehaag was working dispatch for Harken Towing Sunday afternoon when he got a call about a boat that had capsized in the Fraser River near Barnston Island.

As crews from Surrey Fire Service gathered on shore, Uytdehaag got into a Harken vessel to go check out the situation.

What he found was a man riding on a log boom near the island, who said his inflatable fishing boat had capsized from the swell of a passing tugboat.

“He was in shock and he was blue,” Uytdehaag said. “He looked like he had been in there for a while.”

The man was uninjured, however, and he declined medical care upon returning to shore.

“He was more concerned about getting back to his vehicle,” Uytdehaag said. The dispatcher offered to take the man and his boat back to the Port Mann bridge, where he had put his boat in the river earlier in the day.

Uytdehaag said it’s not uncommon for Harken Towing to help out in rescue situations on the river, assisting the Coast Guard and other agencies with the resources they have available.

Asst. Chief David Burns of Surrey Fire Services said Uytdehaag’s boat was in “the right place at the right time.”

The incident briefly delayed the Barnston Island ferry, according to DriveBC: