Told my clients to hang on tight': Comox fish guide rescues 2 after boat sinks

A Comox fishing guide rescued two people after their boat sank off Hornby Island, turning a routine salmon charter into a life-saving operation. Captain Pete Matthews, owner of Wild West Sport Fishing, was heading out from Comox Harbour early Sunday when he heard a mayday call on the radio. The sinking was first reported around Royston and later updated to about five miles east of Hornby Island, where Coast Guard reported the small boat had gone down and two people were in the water. Matthews drove his 27-foot aluminum-weld boat into three-foot seas and whitecaps, aware of a recent June 28 tragedy off Richmond in which six died and four were rescued. A helicopter monitored the area, but visibility was difficult until Matthews spotted a yellow life jacket corner. With help from five passengers, he pulled both men aboard after about 30 minutes in the water and wrapped them in emergency blankets and spare clothing.