Rescue aircraft overhead, boat limps back to Port Bruce

An 18-foot fishing boat ran out of fuel for its main engine in Lake Erie off Port Bruce Thursday night, Sept. 17, as waters became rough, Elgin Ontario Provincial Police Constable Troy Carlson reported.

Two adults, 30 and 23, were on the boat and called for help at 9:18 p.m. In conjunction with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Kingston, an Armed Forces Hercules aircraft was dispatched to the scene and the Elgin OPP’s boat prepared to join in the rescue.

While the Hercules, which arrived at 10:15, found the boat and dropped flares from overhead to illuminate the scene, the boaters managed to get a small trolling motor started and made their way back into Port Bruce, where about 100 spectators were watching from the pier.

Const. Carlson said no one was injured in the incident.

(Photo by Herbert Hildebrandt)