It’s been nearly two weeks since a boating accident near Tofino, and there is still no sign of three First Nation fishermen who vanished into the waters.
The boat sank in the early hours of June 15.
Two men were rescued, but three Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations members, Marcel Martin, Carl Martin Jr., and Terrance Brown Jr. still haven’t been found.
After an extensive search, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) handed the file off to the RCMP as a missing persons case on June 16.
The case remains open.
Their six-metre boat was recovered by an RCMP dive team near Duffin Passage on June 19.
The Tla-o-qui-aht nations said that despite the search being scaled back, efforts to find the men have continued, spearheaded by members from the nation along with the Ahousaht and Hesquiaht First Nations.
“Local tour and transportation operators have and will continue to keep an eye out for any signs of the missing men as they continue their business as usual operations,” said a Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations media release.
READ MORE: Search for 3 missing fishermen off Tofino’s coast enters 4th day
The nations said the RCMP is still working on determining an exact sequence of events that led to the accident, and has renewed an appeal for anyone with information to come forward.
“The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations anticipate the RCMP will complete a full investigation of the incident that will hopefully be able to answer many of the remaining questions,” it said.
The nations are also thanking everyone who has come forward to donate time, items, and money to help with the search effort.
A crowdfunding campaign for the families of the victims has collected more that $28,000.
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