RICHMOND: Emergency crews are conducting an extensive search and rescue operation for six people who went missing after a charter boat sank off the British Columbia coast on Sunday morning.
Authorities believe there were a total of 10 people aboard the vessel when it began taking on water at around 11:45 a.m. near Richmond, in the area of Roberts Bank. While four individuals were successfully rescued from the water, the remaining six passengers remain unaccounted for hours later.
According to a statement issued by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC), the incident was initially reported by someone on a nearby civilian vessel. The caller stated that they spotted “several people in the water without personal flotation devices.”
A massive search response was immediately launched, utilizing a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft and lifeboat, two RCMP vessels, and multiple aircraft. The aerial response includes two helicopters alongside a CH-139 Cormorant helicopter and a CC-295 Kingfisher fixed-wing aircraft deployed from 19 Wing Comox.
The four rescued individuals were initially brought to the Sea Island Coast Guard Station before being transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Authorities have not yet released any information regarding their identities or current medical conditions.
As of 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, the search for the remaining six occupants was still active and ongoing, according to the B.C. RCMP.
It remains unclear what caused the charter boat to capsize and sink. “The circumstances are under investigation,” the RCMP stated in an official news release.
