Three crew members have drowned and one has been rescued after a commercial fishing vessel capsized and sank in the waters off Tofino Saturday night.
A search involving three Coast Guard vessels and a Buffalo aircraft from CFB Comox was launched after the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre received a call from a company reporting that one of its fishing vessels had not checked in and attempts to hail it had failed.
“They [initially] found one crew member alive in a life raft wearing an inflatable life jacket. He was rescued and taken to a cruise ship for medical treatment,” said Lt. (N) Nicole Murillo, of Navy public affairs.
Two more crew members were later found deceased and the search continued for the fourth crew member Sunday with a Cormorant aircraft and three Coast Guard ships.
Shortly before 3 p.m., the fourth crew member was spotted by the Cormorant and confirmed dead by a Coast Guard vessel. He was being transferred to the B.C. Coroners Service and the search was concluded.
“It’s my understanding from the Coast Guard that the only person wearing a life jacket was the survivor,” Murillo said. “They actually want to stress that to fishermen. You can never be too sure and it’s always best to take proper safety precautions.”
The search was centred about 55 kilometres off Estevan Point where the surviving crew member was found, Murillo said.
Names of the victims, the company and the vessel have not been released pending notification of next of kin.
The crew was hauling in a net when the ship listed, Murillo said. "They tried to correct it but unfortunately, the ship capsized and subsequently sunk."
The company that owns the 33 metre dragger notified the Coast Guard after crews failed to check-in around 10 p.m. Saturday night.
