On July 16 at approximately 2:30 p.m., emergency responders were called out after a fisherman became entangled in a log jam in the Elk River just north of the Fernie Golf and Country Club.
The victim was in his 70s and was visiting the area from Vancouver, said Cpl. Dan Hay of the Elk Valley RCMP.
After falling in the river and becoming entangled in the log jam, he was spotted by a fishing guide who called the RCMP, said Hay.
As emergency services were mustering, the victim freed himself from the log jam and inflated his personal flotation device before being rescued by a passing recreational boat.
“He was wet, cold but otherwise unhurt,” said Hay. “He got pretty lucky.”
The B.C. ambulance service transported the victim to hospital where he was treated for mild hypothermia.