After 12 hours, the search was called off for 45-year old Randy Sitter on Thursday, September 20th after his Kayak and life jacket were found on the Eastern side of Lummi Island. With water temperature lingering at around eleven degrees, the US Coast Guard concluded that survival after more than a couple of hours of exposure was impossible. Sitter was a world renowned and award-winning statistics and actuarial sciences professor at SFU.

Two Deep Cove kayakers also fell victim to cold waters on October 7^th when 85-kilometer winds and two-meter swells overpowered their kayak coming back from a hike on Anvil Island. Denis Fontaine (40) and Richard Juryn (50), both known for their outdoor skill and experience, were part of an eight-person group heading back to Porteau Cove in four double kayaks when Fontaine and his girlfriend’s kayak overturned. After Fontaine was picked up by Juryn’s kayak, the added weight caused it to capsize as well, sending the three men into the water. When the Coast Guard arrived on the scene two hours later, Fontaine and Juryn were pronounced dead, with the third man surviving in critical condition and Fontaine’s girlfriend suffering from mild hypothermia.