At least five people have died after a whale watching vessel carrying 27 people sank off the coast of British Columbia yesterday afternoon.
According health officials, 18 others were taken to hospital, many of whom have now been discharged. Several other passengers remain unaccounted for.
The boat, which is operated by Jamie's Whaling Station, had been sailing in the waters off Tofino, a small town on Vancouver Island, before making a mayday call around 5pm, authorities said.
It is not yet known what caused the boat, named Leviathan II, to sink, as locals have said the water was calm at the time, with low wind and good light.
According to Daily Mail, dozens of boats from across the island rushed to the scene to help, with multiple smaller vessels making repeated trips back and forth to shore.
Two of those taken to hospital have already been flown out of Tofino, a fishing village of less than 2,000 residents, whose hospital only has 10 acute care beds.
Joe Martin, a member of the Tal-o-qui-aht First Nation, was near the dock when the rescue boats that went to the aid of a sunken whale watching vessel began returning.
Martin said two people were brought in on a small dinghy as workers tried to resuscitate them but eventually covered them with blankets.
He said his brother and nephew were out fishing when they saw the overturned tourist boat and tried to help. Instead, the men pulled in three bodies, he said.
The ship was on the far side of Vargas Island in Clayoquot Sound, an area that Martin said could get really rough, though conditions yesterday were good.
'It wasn't even blowing hard,' he said. 'This is the largest boat in Tofino and I was really surprised that it went down.'
Rescue workers are still scouring the area where the boat was last seen, with two coastguard boats circling the west coast of Vargas Island, where the boat went down.
The vessel sank in an area known as Plover Reefs, around eight miles from Torfino.
Locals have told Cknw that the waters around Plover Reefs can be treacherous, with large tidal swells pulling boats on to the rocks.
MV Leviathan II is a 65-foot covered boat with inside heated seating that can carry up to 46 people, the Jamie's Whaling website says.
It is equipped with a toilet, snack bar and liquor licence. 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 $109 per person, and offers a relaxing trip through the waters around Tofino.
It says: 'Watch whales in their natural environment from the comfort of our 65ft covered cruiser vessel; the 'Leviathan II'.
'Our 3 decks offer excellent views and allow you the option of sitting inside or outside. We are able to accommodate up to 46 passengers with lots of space left over to move around the vessel.'
A boat operated by Jamie's also sank near Tofino in 1998, killing a German tourist and the captain of the ship.
The weather in Tofino yesterday was sunny with only moderate cloud cover, while the wind was also mild, according to Weather.com.
Witnesses also said the seas were calm, so there was no obvious cause for the accident.
Water temperatures around Torfino reached a peak of 55F (12C) yesterday, though it is likely to be much colder than that now that the sun has gone down.
DailyMail
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