Five dead after whale watching boat sinks in BC
Monday, 26 Oct, 2015
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A boat carrying 27 people sank off the British Columbia coast during a whale watching tour, killing at least five people.
The Royal Canadian Navy said the Leviathan II went down in the waters near Tofino, British Columbia, which is popular with vacationers on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
The Leviathan II, was operated by local boating company Jamie’s Whaling Station which posted a message on Facebook: "Our entire team is heartbroken over the incident and our hearts go out to the families, friends and loved ones of everyone involved."
Five were confirmed dead and one is still missing, said Lt. Cmdr. Desmond James.
The 21 survivors are staying at the homes of local residents in the small coastal town.
"We make most our living from ecotourism like whale watching and wildlife watching, A tragedy like this just hits home so hard," said Tofino mayor Josie Osborne.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is on site investigating the cause of sinking.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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