Updated at 1.50pm
FIVE BRITONS HAVE died after a whale-watching vessel carrying 27 sank off Canada’s Pacific coast near Vancouver Island yesterday, rescue officials said.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed the news in a statement and said his thoughts are “with the family and friends of all those affected by this terrible accident”.
A total of 21 people had been rescued, Lieutenant Commander Desmond James of the Coast Guard’s rescue centre in the provincial capital Victoria told AFP, while one person remains missing.
Meanwhile, 18 victims were taken to hospital, many of them needing warming after being plucked from the ocean, according to CBC news.
The boat, Leviathan II, was some 12 kilometres (seven miles) off Tofino, a resort town on the western edge of Vancouver Island, when a distress call was received around 5pm (12pm GMT) saying that the ship was sinking.
The 20-metre (65-foot) cruise vessel is owned by Jamie’s Whaling Station and Adventure Centres of Tofino. It was reportedly out on one of its last tours of the season, which ends 31 October.
For unknown reasons, the ship capsized in waters less than 10 metres (33 feet) deep, but its bow remained visible above water.
Several lifejackets and personal effects such as handbags and clothing could be seen floating nearby.
A number of boats converged at the site to help the Coast Guard with its search effort, including vessels from the Ahousat aboriginal community, with one taking eight people aboard, according to an account in the Vancouver Sun newspaper.
Response ‘phenomenal’
“The response here has been nothing short of phenomenal, the way that people are bringing out blankets and clothing and food, donating what they can and offering all of the services that they have,” Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne told broadcaster CTV.
An employee who answered the phone at Jamie’s Whaling Station said the company was focused on the passengers and crew.
Canada’s federal Transportation Safety Board (TSB) announced yesterday that it was sending investigators.
Tofino is a popular surfing and whale watching town near the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Additional reporting by Catherine Healy
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say