Five Britons killed in Canada whale watching disaster

Boat disaster: The submerged vessel
Facebook

Five Britons died after a Canadian whale-watching tour boat with 27 passengers on board sank off the coast of British Columbia.

The Leviathan II went down yesterday about nine miles northwest of Tofino, a small community on Vancouver Island, at around 5pm local time.

At least five people died, 21 were rescued and one other person was still missing.

One of the survivors was in a serious condition in hospital.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said: “It is with deep sadness that I can confirm five British nationals have lost their lives when the whale watching boat they were on sank off Western Canada on Sunday.

“My thoughts are with the family and friends of all those affected by this terrible accident. Consular staff in British Columbia are supporting the family members of those who have died and we will remain in close contact with Canadian authorities as further information becomes available.”

The vessel made a mayday call late Sunday afternoon on what was a calm, clear and sunny day.

A massive search and rescue operation, including a military helicopter and plane, was launched for the missing tourists in the area which is known for pods of killer whales.

Dozens of smaller boats rushed to the scene to help ferry survivors to land.

The Leviathan II, a 65ft covered vessel licensed to carry up to 46 people, was operated by Jamie’s Whaling Station and was popular with British visitors.

The cause of the tragedy is unknown.

However, rescue workers said they found the upturned craft in an area called Plover Reefs, which is known to have strong tidal surges which can pull craft on to the rocks.

The local sea temperature at this time of year is around 12 degrees C.

Local councilor Tom Campbell, who saw the first survivors brought ashore, said: “Their looks tell the whole story.

“You can’t describe looks on people that are lost. They look totally lost — shocked and lost.”

In a statement on the Jamie’s Whaling Station website, owner Jamie Bray wrote: “It has been a tragic day.

“Our entire team is heartbroken over this incident and our hearts go out to the families, friends and loved ones of everyone involved.”

The Foreign Office in London said it was “urgently” checking whether any British nationals were involved.

The vessel was on the far side of Vargas Island in Clayoquot Sound, an area that boat owner Joe Martin said could get really rough, though conditions yesterday were good.

“It wasn’t even blowing hard. This is the largest boat in Tofino and I was really surprised that it went down,” he added.

The resort is a popular destination for hikers and whale watchers from around the world.

At this time of year, tours leave from Tofino daily at 1.30pm. According to the company’s website, trips on the Leviathan II cost up to £70 per person.

The cruiser had three decks offering excellent views and allowing the option of sitting inside or outside.

A boat operated by the same company also sank near Tofino in 1998, resulting in the death of a German tourist and the boat’s captain.

John Forde, who works at another eco-adventure company, said passengers on the Leviathan II would not have to wear life jackets.

The boat, like ferries, would only be required to have life jackets on board.

The vessel sent a distress signal around 5 pm local time, according to a spokesman for the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC).

Several other coast guard vessels were involved in the search.

“There were four people recovered without vital signs and the search continues for people still unaccounted for,” the spokesman said.

The search was called off last night.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, citing BC Ambulance, said four people were taken to hospital and five were being treated after being pulled from the water.

The manager of the Shelter Restaurant in Tofino said fishermen and fishing charter companies had joined the rescue effort, with about 15-20 boats leaving the tourist town.

“Practically anyone who can go will go,” said Matthew, who did not give his last name. “People here get together to help when things like this happen.”

The area is popular for whale-watching.

“All our attention now is on our passengers and crew so we’ll be providing information as soon as the time is appropriate,” said a staff member with Jamie’s Whaling Station and Adventure Centres.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it would send a team to Tofino to investigate.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT