The waters off Pipers Lagoon can quickly sweep someone out into the Salish Sea. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

ocean rescue

6-year-old rescued after floating out to sea at Pipers Lagoon

Jul 27, 2020 | 4:26 PM

NANAIMO — A visit to the beach quickly got out of hand over the weekend when a six-year-old was swept out to sea.

Brad Wood, assistant chief with Nanaimo Fire Rescue, told NanaimoNewsNOW the six-year-old drifted away from the Pipers Lagoon Beach on a small floatie around 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 26.

“Don’t turn your head away for a second because things can happen very quickly,” Wood stressed.

Witnesses at Pipers Lagoon said the young girl was out on the water with an older relative and they ended up too far out before the relative had to turn back. The girl was not wearing a life jacket on the floatie.

Roughly 30 minutes after entering the water, a passing boat rescued the young girl from the brisk ocean.

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She was examined for hypothermia by Nanaimo Fire Rescue and given the all clear, returning to her anxious family on the beach.

Many people tried to help save her before the help arrived.

Dave Lawrence, who was visiting Pipers Lagoon with his family, was one of several who dived in and tried to swim out to reach her.

“You could tell how petrified she was and she was so far out,” he told NanaimoNewsNOW. “When I saw there was trouble, I just ran in and had to do it.”

He took his son’s life jacket and tried to swim out with others from the beach, but struggled with the current.

“It was so tough because after swimming for so long, you’re thinking ‘man, when am I going to get to her?’ I swear I was another 20 minutes out and I was trying to go slow and steady so that I wasn’t going to use up all my energy.”

Lawrence said a person in a kayak reached the young girl first and made sure she was okay until the a boat arrived.

He then swam back to shore after roughly one hour in the water.

Anyone swimming is always advised to have a life jacket on, especially in open water. Parents and guardians are warned to always have their eyes on their children at all times.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt