WATCH: It’s been a tragic weekend off Vancouver Island. A commercial fishing vessel went down north of Tofino yesterday. Four men were on board. One managed to get to a life raft, but three others drowned. Jordan Armstrong reports.
Three men died after a commercial fishing boat sunk off the coast of Estevan Point, about 50 kilometres north of Tofino.
At about 10 p.m. Saturday, the company that owns the fishing vessel Caledonian alerted the Coast Guard after the crew missed a check-in.
The crew was hauling in a net when the ship listed, Lt. (Navy) Nicole Murillo with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination
“They tried to correct it but unfortunately, the ship capsized and subsequently sunk.”
The bodies of two men were found soon after Coast Guard vessels began their search. Three Coast Guard vessels and a Cormorant helicopter searched for a missing fourth boater for much of Sunday, but tragically his body was found off the coast of Tofino later this afternoon.
One crew member was found aboard a life raft and transported to a nearby cruise ship headed to Victoria where he will be transferred to hospital. Murillo said early reports indicate the survivor was the only crew member wearing a life jacket.
It’s not known why the boat capsized.
In a statement to Global News, Daniel C. Occhipinti, the General Counsel & Director of Government Affairs for Pacific Seafood, said:
This is a devastating tragedy for our entire Pacific Seafood family and our community. Right now we are focused on our people and their families. We do not yet know what caused this tragedy but we will do a full investigation to find out what happened. We appreciate everything the Canadian Coast Guard has done to help rescue and search for our crew. Please pray for the families who lost a loved one.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada confirmed they are investigating.
An online fundraiser has been set up for the families of the three men who lost their lives.
-With files from Canadian Press
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