American authorities have found two bodies, but it's not certain if they are the kayakers who went missing on Saturday when they departed from D’Arcy Island toward Island View Beach.
San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter stated that the first body was discovered around 3 p.m. on Monday, floating near the rocks in Grandma’s Cove on the west side of San Juan Island.
“Deputies went to the location and saw the body,” he mentioned.
Peter mentioned that the sheriff department’s boat was sent out and retrieved a male’s body, then handed it over to the coroner’s office.
A second report around 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday mentioned a body floating in Middle Channel, south of Cattle Point at the southernmost part of San Juan Island and west of Iceberg Point.
The sheriff’s boat was deployed again, and they retrieved a male’s body, which was also given to the coroner.
“The identities of the persons found are still unknown, and out of respect for the families, the sheriff’s office will not speculate on whether these are the missing Canadian kayakers,” Peter said.
Brothers Daniel MacAlpine, 36, who works in a Victoria autobody shop, and Nicolas West, 26, left D’Arcy Island in a two-person fibreglass kayak at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, as stated by RCMP.
Their empty kayak was discovered on Sunday on Henry Island, about five kilometres northeast of D’Arcy Island in American waters.
South Island Sea Kayaking Association vice-president B.J. Porter, who led a Sunday trip from Island View Beach to D’Arcy Island and back, mentioned that the crossing takes about an hour “even for experienced paddlers.”
Local waters can be unpredictable and issues can arise suddenly, Porter mentioned.
Paddlers in the group returned to Island View on Sunday facing winds up to 15 knots, which posed some challenges, Porter said.
She mentioned examining the forecast for both Saturday and Sunday, and noted that the wind in the area reached 17 to 27 knots on Saturday.
Considering that the wind came from the southwest, it's understandable that the men’s kayak ended up in the United States, Porter noted.
Police, search and rescue teams, and the Canadian Coast Guard have been involved in the search since the two were reported missing on Saturday.
Related
Don’t miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and .
