Three dead after Tofino boat tragedy

Three men are dead after a commercial fishing boat capsized near Tofino, B.C.

Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordinator Paul Tasker says the search teams spotted red flares near the boat’s last known location, off Estevan Point north of Tofino, and found a life raft in the water when they went closer.

The crew member who survived has not been identified but he was the only one wearing a life jacket.

Emergency officials said they were notified of the accident around 10 p.m. Saturday night when the crew didn’t check in.

Murillo says one person has been rescued – the survivor, who was pulled from the water – and is under medical care aboard the Holland America cruise ship the MS Statendam headed to Victoria.

This is a devastating tragedy for our entire Pacific Seafood family and our community.

The Transportation Safety Board, RCMP and BC Coroners Service are all investigating.

“We’ll look at the crew, we’ll look at the vessel, we’ll look at stability issues, best practices, safe work practices – just about everything there is”, said TSB investigator Glenn Budden. The Caledonian is the boat that capsized.

Strong winds were recorded Saturday evening in the area where the boat was fishing, reaching 30 to 50 km per hour, said Environment Canada meteorologist Louis Kohanyi.