At least five people died after a whale watching boat with 27 people on board sank off Vancouver Island and a rescue mission remained active late Sunday, says Canadian authorities.
21 other people have been recovered from the water, says Lt. Commander Desmond James, a spokesperson for Canada’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center.
One person remains unaccounted for. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will take over the search for the missing person.
British Columbia Coroner spokeswoman Barb McLintock, said: “We can now confirm a death toll of five to date in the whale watching boat incident near Tofino.”
The 20-metre Leviathan II, operated by Jamie's Whaling Station, made a mayday call late on Sunday afternoon, local time, on a clear and sunny day in the tourist community that is a popular destination for whale watchers on the country's west coast.
The boat was partially submerged eight nautical miles west of Tofino.
Boats from the nearby Ahoushat First Nation arrived first on the scene, said aboriginal Councilor Tom Campbell. He was on the waterfront and watched as rescue personnel brought several survivors ashore.