TOFINO — The RCMP says two Alberta men died when a sport-fishing vessel overturned and sank off the west coast of Vancouver Island on Sunday.
The Mounties say the men are 32 and 42 years old, but their names and hometowns haven’t yet been released.
Staff Sgt. Annie Linteau says Tofino RCMP is investigating the capsizing of the 8.4-metre sport fishing vessel in waters northwest of Bartlett Island near Tofino.
She says three of the five men who were on board the vessel when it took on water and capsized were treated and released from hospital.
Linteau says other sport fishing vessels in the area helped rescue the men from the water, and Canadian Coast Guard personnel provided lifesaving measures.
Linteau says the RCMP and the Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of accident.
Someone on the boat made a distress call around 1:20 p.m., said Sub-Lt. Melissa Kia with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria.
“We were able to talk with the vessel, live, to confirm that the five passengers were abandoning into the water. While the boat was attempting to get in a better position to speak with us via cellphone, it lost communications with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre,” she said.
Coast guard rescue boats, a Royal Canadian Air Forces helicopter and a plane from CFB Comox were all dispatched to help find the passengers, and a broadcast was put out asking marine vessels in the area to search the area.
Two commercial floatplanes also responded to the call for help, Kia said, and one of them spotted the people in the water and directed rescuers to the location.
“All five people were recovered from the water by two vessels of opportunity (non-coast guard boats) that were very close to the position,” Kia said.
The boats linked up with the coast guard and an off-duty paramedic provided CPR to one passenger while a coast guard rescue specialist tried to resuscitate another, said Bate.
All five people were taken to emergency health services in Tofino, and Bate said Sunday evening that the three surviving passengers were cold but in stable condition.
What caused the vessel to take on water remains unclear.
Kia said the sea was about two to three metres high Sunday afternoon and lighting conditions in the area were good. She said the water temperature off the west coast of Vancouver Island is between about eight and 10 degrees at this time of year.
