Navy Sailor Falls Overboard and Survives Hours in Frigid Water Before Dramatic Rescue 

A Royal Canadian Navy service member is lucky to be alive after spending more than two hours in frigid ocean water before a dramatic rescue caught on camera.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria, British Columbia, received an alert at 2:43 p.m. on Dec. 8 that someone had fallen overboard, according to a statement shared with PEOPLE by Maritime Forces Pacific.

The incident happened as one of the Navy’s Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats was returning from sentry duties off Bentinck Island. The sailor went over the side about half a nautical mile east of the island, near Albert Head, British Columbia.

The waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca — the stretch separating Canada from Washington state — were brutally cold, dropping to about 49 degrees, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. At that temperature, hypothermia can set in fast. The National Weather Service says loss of dexterity can happen in under five minutes, unconsciousness can occur in less than an hour, and expected survival time is roughly one to six hours.

Despite the danger, rescue crews launched an all-out search involving multiple agencies. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre deployed a Cyclone helicopter, a Cormorant helicopter, a Kingfisher aircraft, a U.S. Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter, and several Canadian Coast Guard vessels, including HMCS Regina.

High winds, rough swells, and darkness made the mission even more difficult.

Video released by the Canadian Armed Forces shows the tense search moments before the sailor was found. “I see a heat source in the water, it’s dark as well,” an aircraft operator says in the footage. “Outstanding,” another responds. Moments later, rescuers see movement. “He just waved his hand up, he’s alive,” someone says.

The sailor was finally located at 5 p.m. by the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Cyclone helicopter. He was pulled from the water by the Pacific Pilotage Authority’s Pacific Guardian vessel and rushed to local emergency services.

“Thanks to the swift coordination and unwavering professionalism of all agencies involved, a life was saved today,” Rear-Admiral David Patchell said. “This incident is a powerful reminder of the dedication of our search and rescue partners and the strength we show when we respond together.”

The sailor is now recovering at home, according to Chek News, though his condition hasn’t been publicly disclosed. Patchell says the priority was getting him medical care, and an investigation will determine how the accident happened.