Canoeists say man saved them from frigid Yukon lake

Two men want tothank a strangerwho leaptto their rescue this weekend,after their canoe capsized on Yukon's Kathleen Lake.

One of the canoeists, 71-year-old Frank Glass,says he's convincedthestranger saved his life.

"I can certainly tell you that I wasn't going to make it back to shore," Glasssaid, back home now in Quebec City. "Most definitely I am here today because of that."

Glass was visiting Yukon to take part in a geology conference last week. He and a friend from Yukon, 69-year-old Donald Francis, decided to end Glass's visit with a paddle on the scenic lake in Kluane National Park.

Glass says theyhadtaken appropriate precautions before heading out in the 18-foot canoe.Both were wearing lifejackets.

Along for the ride was Kody,an eight-month-old Portuguese water dog, also wearinga flotation device.

Deadly cold water

Glass says they had been out for while when suddenly thewind picked up.

The men turned the canoe back towardshorebut Glass saysit started rocking with the waves, side-to-side.

"The wind increased, broadsideparallel to waves," Glasssaid.

The canoecapsized about 50 metres from shore, spilling the men and Kodyinto the deadly coldwater.

Glass remembers trying to load gear back into the canoe, but the men and the dog were unable to climb back in.

"The dog was swimming away. I'd put him back in, but each time the canoe would roll over again with another wavethe dog would come out," he said.

Glass thought he was going to die.He looked for Francis, and remembers seeinghim clinging to the stern of the canoe.

"At a certain moment in very cold water the switches simply turn off," Glasssaid.

Francis, who lives at Mendenhall, outside of Whitehorse, admitsthat having a young dog likeKodyon board "didn't help" in either navigation or rescue.

"At one point, he was climbing up on top of me and pushing me under water," he saidwith a laugh.

'This other guy ran in'

Glass doesn't know how much time theyspent in the water.Francis guesses it was about10 or 15 minutes.

"We were holding on to the canoe and the dog. It was all very confusing," Francis said. "It's hard to know because it was a very intense experience."

The two men tried to swim to shore whileholding onto the canoe. It was exhaustingand difficult in the bone-chilling water.

"I was losing a lot of energy and I knew I wasn't going to make it," Glass said.

Their struggle was noticed by some peopleon shore. One man stripped down to a bathing suit andgot in the water to reach the canoe.

"Just as we're getting to the shore, this other guy ran in and grabbed the front of the canoe and pulled us out. We staggered out and Frank looked in pretty bad shape. I thought I was in good shape, but then I started to get cold," Francis says.

"The man took off my vest at shore and put a shirt on me which was dry," Glass says. "He rubbed my hands, my upper body. He put his body against mine to get more warmth."

The man even offered him a banana.

After a few moments, the canoeiststried to walk towardParks Canada's public cabin at Kathleen Lake, but Glass was unable to stand.He says his rescuerlifted him to carry him inside.

"Apparently I was incoherent on the beach," Glass says.

Francis says he was able to walk. He watched asother bystandersprovided a sleeping bag to keep his friend warm.

An ambulance soon tookGlass to the community health centre in nearbyHaines Junction. Francis says he took the dog and followed behind in his truck.

Safe and sound

Glass says nurses at the health centre found him exhausted but unharmed.

He was released after about anhourandfound Francis and Kody, also in good shape. The dog "kissed and licked my arm," he said.

Glass says he'd like to find the strangerwho helped pull them from the water. Francis says his first name was Jeppe or something similar and both describe a strong European accent.

Glass believes the manshould receive a formalcommendationfromthe Canadian government,but he also wants a chance to offer his own personal thanks.

"I want to mail him a bottle of maple syrup every year," he said.