Bill Ryan was a good man, willing to help whenever needed and Tuesday he died doing just that.
Ryan owned a sail boat called Luna Sea, moored in the slips of the Charlottetown Yacht Club. Tuesday evening he was at the club as usual, when he saw a person waiting for a trip out to a boat moored in the Charlottetown Harbour behind the armouries.
Ryan offered the man a ride out to his destination, the Harvey D, a white fishing boat modified as a recreational cruiser. About 5:30 p.m. off they went under motor with one other passenger.
When they got close, Ryan attempted to jump or step from his sailing boat to the deck of the Harvey D.
"I don't know if he jumped or fell but he had a serious head injury," said a passenger on Ryan's boat who did not give his name.
Ryan fell into the water and never came back up. The people on the two boats tried to get to him, but were not successful.
A call to emergency services about 5:45 p.m. brought Charlottetown city police and fire services with its boat, plus the coast guard inshore rescue boat.
Soon there were other boats from the public on the scene and the Harbour Hippo joined in plus the RCMP arrived with its rescue boat.
The file is now in the hands of the RCMP which has responsibility for Island waters.
A CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopter was able to comb the area off Victoria Park and the yacht club for a short time before darkness fell.
Ryan's body was retrieved after 8 p.m.
"He would do anything for anyone," said friends gathered in grief at the water's edge.
They said Ryan was in his mid 50s and lived in one of the apartments of Harbourside, right behind the yacht club.
"He was a great guy," said Wellington Gay, former commodore of the yacht club. "He was always helping out.
"We had a work party here Saturday, re-shingling the roof of the club house and he was up there all day.
"Like I said, he was a good guy," said Gay.
Bill Ryan was a good man, willing to help whenever needed and Tuesday he died doing just that.
Ryan owned a sail boat called Luna Sea, moored in the slips of the Charlottetown Yacht Club. Tuesday evening he was at the club as usual, when he saw a person waiting for a trip out to a boat moored in the Charlottetown Harbour behind the armouries.
Ryan offered the man a ride out to his destination, the Harvey D, a white fishing boat modified as a recreational cruiser. About 5:30 p.m. off they went under motor with one other passenger.
When they got close, Ryan attempted to jump or step from his sailing boat to the deck of the Harvey D.
"I don't know if he jumped or fell but he had a serious head injury," said a passenger on Ryan's boat who did not give his name.
Ryan fell into the water and never came back up. The people on the two boats tried to get to him, but were not successful.
A call to emergency services about 5:45 p.m. brought Charlottetown city police and fire services with its boat, plus the coast guard inshore rescue boat.
Soon there were other boats from the public on the scene and the Harbour Hippo joined in plus the RCMP arrived with its rescue boat.
The file is now in the hands of the RCMP which has responsibility for Island waters.
A CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopter was able to comb the area off Victoria Park and the yacht club for a short time before darkness fell.
Ryan's body was retrieved after 8 p.m.
"He would do anything for anyone," said friends gathered in grief at the water's edge.
They said Ryan was in his mid 50s and lived in one of the apartments of Harbourside, right behind the yacht club.
"He was a great guy," said Wellington Gay, former commodore of the yacht club. "He was always helping out.
"We had a work party here Saturday, re-shingling the roof of the club house and he was up there all day.
"Like I said, he was a good guy," said Gay.
