BELLINGHAM, Wash. — What started as a typical ferry ride between Lummi Island and the mainland ended with the rescue of two distressed kayakers.
On a July 16 sailing, Whatcom Chief Captain Gary Poole noticed a kayak in the distance that was abnormally far from shore.
He diverted the ferry from its course to investigate.
The crew found paddles floating away from a kayak and an 18-20-year-old man with a 3-year-old child in the water.
The child was wearing a life jacket, but the adult was not.
Crew members hoisted them onboard, checked them for injuries, and reunited them with a family member when the ferry docked at the Gooseberry Point terminal.