It has been a very sad and stressful weekend here on our fair isle. The teenage son of a friend of ours failed to come home from an afternoon kayking trip. He didn't have much experience with his new boat and the winds were exceptionally strong. They were conditions I would never have considered kayaking in.
For the full official version of the story you can check out the Hornby Island Fire Rescue blog. From a lay perspective, I can tell you that there are some spectacularly committed volunteers out there. It all began with low flying planes circling Hornby at 3:30 a.m. They sent out flare that lit the entire sky with an eerie orange glow. By 6:30 they brought in our Fire Rescue and that was the start of it for me and especially Doug.
The Search and Rescue teams came in their command center on the first ferry and waves of teams from all over Vancouver Island arrived on subsequent ferries afterwards. Our fire department was out there in full. Muffins, cookies and pots of coffee showed up unsolicited. It was a huge show of affection for Orlando and his family. Incredible.
The second day of the search was somewhat scaled back but with the addition of K-9 search dogs. Those teams scoured the coast a second time, sadly with no results.
Finally today, a group of concerned locals, at Veronica's request, went out with the guidance of the Fire Department and searched an in-land grid pattern close to shore in an area the boy was familiar with. Again, nothing. It is such a profoundly sad time here on the island. We don't really know what to do with ourselves.
A trust account is being set up for the family to make this time a little easier and so their daily needs can be met without worrying about that in addition to their grief. Community members are coordinating food and other support for the family.
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