Two men went missing earlier this month after departing from Grays Harbor County, Washington, on the fishing vessel Evening for what was intended to be a 3-day fishing trip.
When the two men (reportedly the vessel's owner and a crew member) did not return when expected, the U.S. Coast Guard undertook a 2-week search for the vessel. The search had only just ended when a passing boat on a fishing trip just happened to spot one of the missing men aboard a life raft 70 miles off the coast of Washington.
Ryan Planes and his uncle John of Vancouver Island were out early Thursday morning fishing with friends when they traveled to a favorite fishing spot and saw the life raft.
Ryan told King 5 News,
I saw what looked like a life raft in the distance and ran inside and put the binoculars on him and then he shot off a flare. We pulled him on board. He gave me a big hug and it was emotional.
The Canadian Coast Guard was called to assist in the rescue.
John said that the fisherman told them he had been alone on the raft for 13 days, and after running out of food and water had caught a salmon which he ate in order to survive.
The fisherman was taken to a hospital in Tofino, British Columbia, where he is recovering. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the second fisherman who was aboard the Evening is still missing.
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