Jurgen Pokrandt was on duty at the Oak Bay Marina last Friday night when what seemed like a routine call turned into an 11-hour search for a missing Saanich man.

Pokrandt and crew members, Jerry Hunter, Chris Life and Nathan Leung had just begun their week-long shift as night crew for the Oak Bay Sea Rescue (OBSR) Society, known as Unit 33 of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue.

Around 10:50 p.m., Pokrandt, duty coxswain, received a call to investigate the waters off Oak Bay after a concerned citizen had called police and reported hearing cries for help.

Two young Saanich men had set sail from Telegraph Bay Cove earlier that evening with the intention of camping overnight on Discovery Island. However, their canoe capsized while travelling through Baynes Channel near Ten Mile Point.

According to Pokrandt, the waters were calm Friday night, but he noted that Baynes Channel can get very rough with conflicting currents.

B次元官网网址淭he Oak Bay area has a lot of rocks and islets B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 a very dangerous area for boating unless you know your way around,B次元官网网址� says Pokrandt, a society member for 13 years.

Pokrandt and crew met Saanich police on the shore near Flower Island and were told to search the waters around Cadboro Bay, from Ten Mile Point to Willows Beach.

The Oak Bay crew was first out on the water, Pokrandt says. They combed the waters until coming across one of the missing canoeists around 12:30 a.m. Saturday.

B次元官网网址淎s we were motoring out there, we were yelling, stopping the engines, and listening,B次元官网网址� Pokrandt recalls. B次元官网网址淎nd at some point, we heard faint cries for help. We zeroed in on it and we finally heard the direction and we yelled and we got a response.B次元官网网址�

A 20-year-old Saanich man was found clinging onto a sign at the top of a concrete marker known as Tod Rock, located near Mary Tod Island.

He was wet and a bit incoherent, according to Pokrandt. B次元官网网址淗e was standing there hypothermic.B次元官网网址�

However, upon finding the young man, the crew learned another was still missing.

B次元官网网址淎t that point, a major mayday was issued,B次元官网网址� Pokrandt says.

After the first young man was located Leung, a crew member for 15 months, discovered the canoeists were acquaintances.

Leung attended Lambrick Park Secondary with both boys, he says, and played soccer with them for a couple of years.

B次元官网网址淲e were just focused on searching for the canoeists so we were just professional about it and we tried our hardest to find both of them,B次元官网网址� Leung says.

B次元官网网址淚t gave me so much more motivation to get back out there and try even harder.B次元官网网址�

Members from the Canadian and U.S. coast guards, Victoria police marine unit, Saanich fire department, RCMP marine unit and Oak Bay police and fire continued to search the area for the second canoeist throughout the night and into Saturday morning. A helicopter from Comox also searched from above.

Meanwhile, Unit 33 members continued to search B次元官网网址渆very little nook and crannyB次元官网网址� along the water, Pokrandt says, and called out in hope of getting some sort of response.

By 7 a.m. Saturday, a second Oak Bay boat, sent as a relief crew, joined them on the water.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e dedicated, and we just wanted to search for this guy. B次元官网网址� We thought there must be a chance, a hope, that heB次元官网网址檇 still be out there somewhere,B次元官网网址� Pokrandt says, adding that both boats remained on the look-out until being told to stand down around 9 a.m.

The search was called off early Saturday afternoon. The second canoeist has not been found and was deemed a missing person.

Pokrandt says this type of call isnB次元官网网址檛 unusual, especially in the summertime. ItB次元官网网址檚 the extent and seriousness of Friday nightB次元官网网址檚 search that made this mission different.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of other things which are just simple searches,B次元官网网址� Pokrandt says. B次元官网网址淚n this case it was for real. So IB次元官网网址檓 glad we checked it out thoroughly.B次元官网网址�

Common calls to the unit include sightings of items, such as flares, reported by concerned citizens, broken down vessels, and overturned kayaks.

On average, the crew receives one call each week, but Pokrandt noted that on a Sunday the crew could get as many as four calls in a day.

Oak BayB次元官网网址檚 search and rescue team, often dubbed Oak BayB次元官网网址檚 navy, currently has about 40 active members, making up eight crews (four day and four night) which rotate in week-long shifts each month.

The group is volunteer-based and relies largely on public funding.

Operating costs range from $80,000 to $100,000 every year, depending on whether new equipment is needed, according to Terry Calveley, president of the OBSR Society.

B次元官网网址淲e are extremely grateful of the support the community gives us,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 what helps us stay afloat.B次元官网网址�

All members of the society are crew members, with the exception of board members, Calveley said, noting theyB次元官网网址檙e actively seeking new crew and board volunteers.

Most members join the team because of a love for being on the water, Pokrandt says.

B次元官网网址淲e like what we do because we like being on the water B次元官网网址� maybe itB次元官网网址檚 a boy-scout complex B次元官网网址� I donB次元官网网址檛 know what makes us do it,B次元官网网址� he says.

For more information about the Oak Bay Sea Rescue Society, see obsr.ca.