A 27-year-old Australian man is missing and feared dead after a whale-watching boat sank near Vancouver Island yesterday.
The Sydney-based traveller was with his girlfriend and her family in Canada when the vessel started to sink off the Canadian coast, Sky News reported.
He is the only passenger out of 27 still unaccounted for.
The man’s family said yesterday that they were arranging for emergency passports so they cold travel to the country. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) is providing consular assistance.
Authorities have confirmed 21 people were rescued from the water, however five British citizens were killed, including the girl’s father.
I’m deeply saddened to learn of the tragedy off Tofino, BC. My thoughts are with the victims and their families: https://t.co/mrvQDV01hy
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 26, 2015
The youngest of those killed in the tragedy was 18 and the oldest 76. Four passengers were taken to a local hospital in a stable condition. According to an onlooker, Alec Dick, a giant wave hit the boat named Leviathan II and ‘flipped their boat completely’. Dick said it was unlikely that passengers and staff would have had time to put on life jackets.
Mystery Over Sinking That Killed Five Britons – A whale-watching boat that sank off Western Canada. https://t.co/ptIRotesVj — Andreas Berg (@sechser1969) October 27, 2015
Following the flip, the ship started to sink – a mayday call was sent out at about 5.00pm local time.
A military rescue helicopter, three coastguard boats and local boats were sent out to assist in rescue efforts.
Owners of the vessel, Jamie’s Whaling Station and Adventure Centres of Tofino, issued a statement describing the event as tragic.
“Our entire team is heartbroken over this incident and our hearts go out to the families, friends and loved ones of everyone involved.”
Company statement
“We are cooperating with investigators to determine exactly what happened.
“In the meantime, we want to extend our most sincere thank you to the first responders, rescue personnel, and everyone from Tofino and the local First Nations communities who assisted with the response efforts.”
Investigators are looking into why the boat sank on what has been dubbed a calm and clear day.
