A commentary by a Royston author.
It was most disturbing to hear that our coast guard intends to de-staff two of our lighthouses out there along the “Graveyard of the Pacific” on the outside of Vancouver Island.
Well, it just so happens that I’ve been researching and writing West Coast maritime history for more than 30 years and am well familiar with how many ships wrecked and whose remains are scattered along that coastline.
Then for the past 10 or so years, I happened to be working for the coast guard as a relief light keeper where I could stand in for an assistant keeper who wanted off a light for a medical appointment, vacation or to visit family.
So that being said, I happened to be standing in out at Pachena Point light station, which lies just up a little ways up from Carmanah light, a few years ago when I heard over the radio a boat in distress. It lost its way out off the entrance to Juan de Fuca Strait where Carmanah looks out over because they couldn’t figure out exactly where they were.
It might have been foggy at the time, along with them being unfamiliar with how to operate an electronic global positioning system, or not having one on board. Anyway, they were calling out for help over the radio circuit and the principal light keeper out on Carmanah light station answered and set out to help them as best she could and they were able to make their way down into Puget Sound.
While posted out on two different lighthouses, I heard tales of how two keepers at two different stations had gone to the rescue of boats which had gotten into serious trouble and were able to rescue those aboard.
The one which happened off Entrance Island, some 10 to 12 people were out on a tour of the Salish Sea when their boat rolled over and most of them ended up in the water.
Then there were all the foghorns at the 27 stations, except for three, which have been shut off.
So this all being said, I wasn’t really all that surprised that our Canadian Coast Guard overlords intend to close down two lighthouse stations out along on our dangerous coastline.
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