Floating event goes awry when Americans are blown into Canada

It was windy in the Okanagan on Sunday, but it was nothing compared to what happened in Ontario after hundreds of Americans were blown into the country.

The annual Port Huron Float Down took place over the weekend in Michigan, but it didn’t go as planned as floaters were blown into the community of Sarnia, Ont. The floaters started from the Lighthouse beach on the southern tip of Lake Huron, Michigan and float down to Chrysler Beach in Marysville, Michigan. But that didn’t happen.

According to the Sarnia Police Service, high winds occurred during the annual float, sending approximately 1,500 Americans across the border. Only minor injuries were reported and the Canadian Coast Guard was called in to help with on-water emergency assistance.

Thousands of people took part in the float on Sunday and officials called the event hectic as people were blown all over the place. City police, paramedics, the coast guard and RCMP worked together to rescue the floaters and get them back into the United States.

The Americans were loaded onto buses and taken across the bridge back home, with police escorts. Sarnia police called the incident “crazy busy” but managed to send the invasion back across the border with no hiccups.

Many found humour in the event, one participant even documenting the entire float in a fun YouTube video. It’s surely a floating experience they won’t forget!