A major search and rescue operation was launched and local boats and the Canadian coastguards were able to rescue 21 people.
Advertisement
Tour owner Jamie Bray released a statement saying: “It has been a tragic day”.
In London Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the five deceased in Sunday’s accident were British citizens.
The first rescue boats to arrive belonged to the nearby Ahoushat First Nation community, aboriginal councillor Tom Campbell said.
The manager of the Shelter Restaurant said fishermen and fishing charter companies had joined the rescue effort, with about 15 to 20 boats leaving the tourist town.
A woman pays her condolences from the dock to passengers of a capsized whale watching boat in Tofino.
“We can definitely confirm we’ve been called to the dock in Tofino and we understand multiple fatalities”, Coroner Barb McLintock said.
“You could see the smaller boats going back and forth to try and help bring people back to shore”, he added. They look totally lost – shocked and lost, ” he told the Associated Press.
The boat was partially submerged eight nautical miles west of Tofino. Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is also investigating.
“I know those boats are equipped with life jackets, because I’ve been on the whale watching tours before, but but it’s just a matter of how quickly it went down and whether people had a chance to get their life jackets on.”
Jamie’s Whaling Station, one of the area’s largest tourist boat outfitters, was hit by a deadly tragedy once before in 1998.
At least 18 of the survivors were taken to the hospital and a few of had been discharged by early Monday, according to medical officials. “Our entire team is heartbroken over this incident”, the statement said.
“The sea was three to four meters, a fairly big sea, but not much wind or too unusual for the conditions we deal with on a regular basis out here”, Forde, who took part in the rescue for several hours, told Global television. “I have no idea what the issue was or what actually happened”, he said.
Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne tweeted “thoughts & prayers are with passengers, crew, emergency responders & their families”. The operator and one German passenger lost their lives.
Advertisement
To the whale watching companies of Tofino, your rallying for each other shows us all how much we support each other in this community.
