Tourists in whale watching tragedy were not wearing life jackets
The five British people who drowned off the coast of Canada have been named as investigators reveal they were not wearing life jackets when the whale-watching boat sank.
Matt Brown, regional coroner for the Island Region of the British Columbia Coroners Service, told a press conference although the life jackets were on board, the victims were not wearing them.
He said: "What we have found thus far is that none were wearing life jackets. As I understand through the current regulations that’s not a requirement in the area that they were or on this vessel.
"Our understanding at this time is that life jackets were on board. I believe that this vessel can occupy up to 50 individuals. There were 27 on board and there were life jackets available for all of them."
Investigators also said that most passengers were standing on the vessel’s left side when a wave hit it from the right, affecting its stability.
The vessel tilted and then capsized.
David Thomas, 50, a managing architect at Microsoft, and his son Stephen, 18, from Swindon in Wiltshire, were among the tourists who died when the boat went down near the remote village of Tofino.
Mr Thomas’s wife and Stephen’s mother is understood to have been among the 21 rescued from the water.
The three other victims were Jack Slater, 76, Nigel Hooker, 63, and 29-year-old Katie Taylor, who all lived in Canada.
Mr Slater, who lived in Ontario was originally from Salford, near Manchester while Mr Hooker, who lived in Toronto, was originally from Southampton.
Mr Hooker was on board the Levithian II with his daughter Danielle, 28, and her Australian boyfriend, believed to be Rav Pillay, 27, when the boat, run by Jamie’s Whaling Station, sank.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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