A man and woman are safe after their homemade raft sank in the Yukon River north of Stewart Island.
Dawson City RCMP received a satellite phone call Friday night from a group of canoeists who had rescued a woman who had fallen in the river. She was sitting by a fire, trying to dry off. The canoeists had also seen a man, but were not able to travel upstream to get him. They did not know where he was. Neither the man nor the woman was wearing a life-jacket.
Police picked up the woman, a 28-year-old from Quebec City, by helicopter. While flying, they were also able to locate the man, a 26-year-old. Another group of canoeists had found him by that time.
Police gave the couple camping gear when they returned to Dawson City. Police are reminding everyone who is travelling on waterways to always wear personal flotation devices and to know how their equipment works.
July 20 through 27 is National Drowning Prevention Week. Since 2008, 20 people have died from drowning-related incidents in the territory, Yukon’s chief coroner Kirsten Macdonald said in a press release issued this week.