Passengers and crew were courageous and heroic when the whale-watching vessel Leviathan II capsized, its captain said Friday.
Vessel captain Wayne Dolby released a statement through employer Jamie’s Whaling Station and Adventure Centres in Tofino.
“Most of all to the families, friends and loved ones of those who did not come home, I want to express my heartfelt sympathies and I pray your grief for their loss will not stay with you as long as it will stay with me.”
Dolby has worked for Jamie’s for 18 years.
“Over the past week we have rightly heard of the courage and heroism of the people of Tofino, Ahousaht, the Coast Guard and others who assisted in the search and rescue,” Dolby said.
“What we have not heard as much about is the courage and heroism of my passengers and crew who were involved in this terrible ordeal.”
The 65-foot-long Leviathan II, carrying 27 people, capsized Sunday afternoon at Plover Reefs, about 15 kilometres northwest of Tofino. Five people died, one is missing, and 21 were rescued.
It has been towed to shore for examination by Transportation Safety Board officials.
The TSB has said most of the people aboard Leviathan II were on the top deck on the port side. A wave struck the starboard side, causing the boat to tilt up and capsize.
One life raft deployed and at least two flares and one parachute rocket were fired.
Investigators are initially looking at the sequence of events leading up to the capsizing, rather than likely causes, said Marc-Andre Poisson, the TSB’s director of marine investigations.
“You shouldn’t draw conclusions that there was just one event that created it. There are so many events and so many factors to be considered — some of them happened at that time but there could be decisions made prior to accident that factor in,” Poisson said.
Investigators will verify the vessel’s stability, review modifications that were made to the former forestry-industry tug, analyze data from electronic equipment recovered from the vessel, and review the history of inspections.
Leviathan II, built in 1981, was lengthened and had a deck added in 1996 for whale-watching.
Transport Canada said in a statement that the owner prepared a stability assessment and it was approved and certified by Transport Canada.
Investigators will continue to interview survivors and witnesses.
Lifesaving equipment on board at the time will be inspected.
Electronic equipment retrieved from the vessel will pinpoint for investigators where Leviathan II tipped and its track to that point. There was no voice recorder on the vessel as one isn’t required on a vessel of this type.
The investigation has been especially difficult given the number of people who perished, said Poisson. “It’s always extremely difficult when people die,” Poisson said. “It’s very hard on everyone. Our hearts go out to the families.”
The TSB is an independent agency. It does not assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability but rather aims to improve safety.
Corene Inouye, Jamie’s Whaling Station director of operations, issued a statement Friday saying regular safety drills were performed, and the 33-year-old company required stringent crew certification.
Leviathan II was tested and certified by Transport Canada for stability and other safety issues when it was converted into a whale-watching vessel. It has been inspected by officials annually, she said.
“Jamie’s would never have allowed a single passenger or anyone else to be on the water in a vessel that we were not absolutely confident was safe.”
Since the accident the company has been assisting authorities and looking for ways to comfort everyone involved, Inouye said.
The events of Sunday will be “remembered as a dark day” for the company, she said. “We will continue to seek to find ways to assist those impacted over the coming days.”
Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne said residents are getting back into the regular pace of life which includes whale-watching tours returning to the water.
“It’s difficult when we know that a young man’s body still hasn’t been recovered,” she said. “There’s a sense of closure that would come with that.”
Tourism is key to Tofino’s economy; the mayor said she doesn’t believe visitors will shy away.
— With The Canadian Press
