There are plenty of ways a paddleboarding trip can go wrong, but drifting 10 miles offshore as the sun disappears below the horizon has to rank near the top of the list. Fortunately for one adult and two children, a police helicopter crew spotted them before darkness completely took over.
According to the Erie County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook, the rescue began at approximately 7:14 p.m. after the Niagara Regional Police requested assistance with a search on Lake Erie. The group had reportedly gone missing while paddleboarding near Long Beach, Ontario, prompting an urgent cross-border response.
With daylight fading quickly, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit launched Air 1 and began a grid search based on the direction of the wind. Time was working against the crews, as visibility continued to worsen with every passing minute…