Five people died and one person is still missing after a whale-watching boat sank off British Columbia, Canada, on Sunday, October 25, according to the country’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
The sixty-five foot cruise vessel Leviathan II sank near Tofino around 5 p.m. local time Sunday, with 27 people onboard.
21 people have been rescued so far, many by local members of the Ahousaht First Nation, who saw the distress flare from the vessel and rushed to provide assistance.
18 of those rescued needed medical treatment at a local hospital, while the remaining 3 were sent to larger medical centres. All are reportedly in stable condition.
The search is still ongoing for the missing person.
The Leviathan II is operated by Jamie’s Whaling Station & Adventure Centres. The vessel is partially submerged around 8 nautical miles northwest off Tofino.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) will be deploying a team of investigators to Tofino to investigate the sinking.
It is yet unclear as to what caused the sinking, but the area where the vessel sank is known for its strong currents, according to local fishermen.
World Maritime News Staff; Image: Albert Titian/Facebook