Elliott Smith to the rescue!

What started as a quick trip to the International Marketplace on December 28 turned into a dramatic and heartwarming rescue for Point Roberts resident Elliott Smith, who had a house full of visiting family at the time and no idea his errand was about to save a life.

Standing in line at the deli, Smith overheard marina security officer Israel James taking an emergency call on speakerphone. A man was half a mile offshore, his engine dead, his boat taking on water, with only his dog for company. With holiday quiet blanketing the marina and no other boaters immediately available, Smith didn’t hesitate.

“I said, ‘I’ll go,’” he recalled. “It was Christmas time. There wasn’t anyone else around.”

Within minutes, Smith had paid for his groceries, started his boat, and headed out while James coordinated with the Coast Guard from the dock. Using radio contact and location details, Smith navigated toward Lily Point, where the distressed vessel had been spotted about half a mile offshore.

When he arrived, the situation was dire. The boat was already filling fast with water. The first passenger to jump aboard Smith’s boat was the dog, who, Smith said, “was really ready to come off.” Moments later, the boat owner followed, grabbing only a small bag of personal belongings. Smith also removed the fuel tanks to prevent pollution.

“Two or three minutes after we got them off, the boat just flipped,” he said. “Like the Titanic.”

The Coast Guard was still en route from Bellingham, nearly an hour away. Without Elliott’s quick response, the man and his dog would have been left in frigid winter waters, facing a dangerous swim in rough conditions.

“The timing was everything,” said James later. “That stranger in the deli saved lives.”

Smith downplays the hero label, but his actions speak loudly. After bringing the rescued pair safely back to the dock, he quietly returned to his day.

As if one rescue wasn’t enough, Smith was called into action again just weeks later. On January 18, he helped save an injured snow goose that had likely been attacked by an eagle. Because it was illegal to transport the bird into Canada by land, Smith took the goose by boat to Whatcom Humane Society. The bird is now recovering in rehabilitation.

Two rescues in less than a month highlight the quiet strength of a small coastal community where people show up for one another without hesitation. As James put it, “It’s a humble reminder of how much we rely on each other out on the water.”