Cellphone pings point RCMP in the right direction for high-seas rescue

PORT HARDY, B.C. – Two crew members of a fishing vessel are safe as police continue to investigate after a tense, high-tech rescue mission off the coast of B.C.

A 26-year-old woman called for help around 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, saying the skipper of a 30-foot gill-netter was high on drugs and threatening to kill her and a 21-year-old male crewman.

Cpl. Darren Lagan says that as RCMP were mobilizing to respond, the woman called again to say shots had been fired and the situation was escalating.

Not knowing where the vessel was located as night fell, Mounties used the pings off cellphone towers to figure out the vessel was somewhere in the Browning Passage, northeast of Port Hardy, and they found the boat around 11 p.m.

The skipper ignored police calls to head for shore, but officers saw the two crew members on the back of the boat and moved in to rescue them.

Once they were safe, RCMP officers were able to convince the skipper to dock, where the 49-year-old man was arrested.