Divers are working around the clock near Tofino trying to find the body of a missing Australian man, one of the 27 people who were on board a whale watching boat that sunk near Plover Reefs Sunday afternoon, killing five people.
Cst. Jim Preston with RCMP Dive Supervisor says they are concentrating on an underwater channel where passengers and a crew member last saw the missing 27-year-old man, but their efforts are hampered by rough seas, resulting in no divers being deployed today.
Despite the setback, Preston says they are quite confident the man’s body is where they are looking for it.
Preston says they have spoken to the survivors and determined that a family member who was with the man when the tragedy unfolded was holding on to him, but lost sight of him when he went to the bottom.
That family member is expected to return to the site of the tragedy with the dive team to help with the search effort.
READ MORE: Centre of gravity high, while wave hits whale-watching boat, sending it over: TSB
The missing man has been unofficially identified as Rav Pillay of Sydney, Australia. His family arrived in Tofino this afternoon and was greeted in an emotional reunion.
On Tuesday, the B.C. Coroners Service confirmed the identities of the five British nationals who died.
The Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the incident. On Tuesday, investigators said sightseeing passengers crowded the top deck of a whale-watching vessel when it was hit by a wave and then rolled, sending 27 people into the water.
With files from James Armstrong and Andrew Russell
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