Editor's note: The article contains links to a video containing partial nudity.
Video has surfaced of a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft assisting multiple RCMP officers in transporting an allegedly drunk man off Wreck Beach.
This form of outside assistance is "a last resort," admitted University Detachment RCMP Cst. Christina Martin.
Located on the edge of the University of British Columbia, Wreck Beach has no docks in order for a boat to gain access to its shores. It’s generally only reached by a flight of hundreds of steep stairs, confirmed Coast Guard communications advisor Kiri Westnedge.
“Hovercrafts are used all over, especially in the Lower Mainland, to transport people off of islands in an emergency situation,” added Martin.
In the instance of the man seen being hauled away in handcuffs, held up by police officers on either side of him, Martin said it was most likely a case of ensuring everyone’s safety that the hovercraft was called in.
Belligerent drunk at Wreck Beach being carted off by the hovercraft. from r/vancouver
“Sometimes we call in the hovercraft if someone is injured or unable to stay stable on their feet because getting them up those stairs could pose a safety risk to them or [police],” Martin said.
Crowds cheered in the video posted to Reddit Tuesday, while police officers take the man aboard the hovercraft and off the beach.
Reinforcement from the Canadian Coast Guard, in the form of a hovercraft that lowers directly onto Wreck Beach, can be lifesaving, Martin said.
Hovercraft operate in “non-displacement mode,” hovering on a cushion of air generated by two lift fan engines and propelled forward by two propulsion engines.
This allows them to go into areas where traditional vessels can’t go such as in shallow water and onto land, Westnedge said.
“People have had heart attacks on that beach,” added Martin, adding that fire crews and emergency responders can get down those stairs.
“But if someone is injured and has to be laid flat on a stretcher, going back up is often dangerous for the patient," she said. Not to mention time-consuming.
"Hovercrafts are a huge asset to the RCMP," Martin said.
The Coast Guard crew on the hovercraft is made up of a captain, first officer, and five rescue divers. They typically respond to around 300 search and rescue calls per year, Westnedge added.
