British Columbia Coroner spokeswoman Barb McLintock said late Sunday five were dead so far after a whale watching boat sank off the coast of British Columbia.
Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Armed Forces Public Affairs Officer Melissa Kia confirmed to CBS News that at approximately 5 p.m. local time a tour boat from a local company, the Leviathan II, sank off the coast of Tofino, British Columbia, with 27 people on board.
As cold as the water was, the Ahousaht First Nation, a few of whose fishermen were on hand to assist, said the weather didn’t work against the rescue. He headed back to sea.
“Only the top 12 feet of the bow was sticking out, the rest was submerged”, said Desilets.
Lt. Commander Desmond James of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) said late Sunday that the military agency’s search had concluded with the other 21 passengers being rescued. Most of the rescued people are with serious injuries and transported to the local hospital for medical examinations and treatment.
The search and rescue effort ended Sunday, with the RCMP taking over the investigation as a missing persons case.
Officials earlier confirmed at least three were dead. “Five were located without vital signs and one remains missing”.
The Associated Press said the boat went down near Tofino.
The region is popular with surfers, hikers and whale watchers from across the globe. An employee who answered the phone said the company was focused on the passengers and crew and would not release information at this stage.
A staff member said: “It has been a tragic day. This didn’t happen. We came on a holiday”.
In the statement, owner Jamie Bray promised updates when they are available and also offered his honest thanks to first responders, Tofino residents and local First Nations communities who assisted with the rescue.
She said: “Everybody’s heart is just breaking for what’s going on here and wanting to be as helpful as possible”, AP reports. “We show the world what it means to be a remote coastal community - and I am the proudest mayor alive”. “They came across a few people in the water. My thoughts and prayers go out to everybody involved”. Food, blankets, clothing, personal support and more.
A few of the 18 have already been discharged, she said.
He told the Global Television Network that the waves were three to four meters high at the time of the sinking, conditions that were rough but not unusual for the area, Forde said.
