Three people are still missing off the coast of Tofino after their boat sank early Friday morning.
Canadian Coast Guard officials have confirmed they are searching a 41-square kilometre area after receiving multiple 911 calls at approximately 3 a.m. The calls came from residents in the Duffin Cove area, who heard calls for help from out at sea.
Multiple units are taking part in the search including the Tofino RCMP, SAR, 19 Wing Comox, the RCMP’s West Coast Marine Section and their Underwater Recovery Team.
Searchers recovered one person from the water who was not wearing a life jacket at 3:30 a.m. Roughly one hour later they heard from another survivor that had swam to shore at Duffin Cove.
Both people were taken to hospital in Tofino, and told searchers that three others were still missing.
ONGOING #SAR:#JRCC Victoria is responding to a #SAR involving 5 persons in an open vessel, approx. 20 ft. in length that sank and issued no MAYDAY, as it went down in the early hours off the coast of Tofino on June 15, 2018. UPDATES to follow. pic.twitter.com/6xGbpEffwp
— MARPAC/FMAR(P) (@MARPAC_FMARP) June 15, 2018
Search officials say conditions are good with low wind and waves, and high visibility. However ocean currents can play a role in these searches.
The 20-foot, open vessel sunken boat did not issue a mayday call, according to the JRCC, and multiple vessels in the area have also responded to help with the search.
Tofino’s mayor, Josie Osborne posted the following statement on Facebook about the ongoing search efforts:
We’ll continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
