Bellingham man, dog rescued early Wednesday after boat sinks on Lake Fazon
A 69-year-old Bellingham man was rescued early Wednesday morning after he was stranded on the shore of Lake Fazon after experiencing engine troubles on his sinking boat.
Around 6:45 a.m. on Nov. 27, a duck hunter called 911 to report he was stranded on the opposite side of Lake Fazon in the 2200 block of East Hemmi Road, according to Chief Deputy Kevin Hester with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
The man had gone duck hunting earlier that morning on his boat on the lake, but he experienced engine problems, which caused his boat to drift to the opposite side of the lake, Hester said. Due to high winds and waves, his boat became flooded and started to sink, Hester said.
The man and his dog were able to make it to shore, but were stranded on the opposite side. The man’s hip waders had filled with water, “making it impossible for him to walk out of that area as it was very swampy with many logs and other debris underneath the water,” Hester said.
The temperature was around 34 degrees and winds out of the northeast ranged about 40 to 50 mph, Hester said.
Sheriff’s deputies and emergency responders from Fire District No. 1 were called to help. While some emergency responders were trying to find a local boat to launch on the lake, fire department members were able to make contact with the man by voice, according to District 1 Chief Mel Blankers.
They were able to cut a path through the brush, get to the man, help him empty out his waders and get him and his dog to safety, Blankers said.
The man was treated for mild hypothermia and released, Hester said. No other injuries were reported.
The man’s boat was partially submerged, and he will work to remove it from the lake as weather conditions improve, Hester said.
This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 12:17 PM.
