The BC Coroners Service has confirmed there was a fourth person on a vessel that sank off of Victoria last Friday and sadly they have passed.
A dramatic rescue operation took place off the coast of Victoria over the weekend, as three individuals and their canine companion were saved from a sinking vessel.
While the story initially came out as good news, it was later learned a fourth person was on the vessel. Unfortunately, that person, a man, died as a result of the incident.
“I can confirm that the BC Coroners Service was notified and is investigating one death resulting from this incident,” Ryan Panton, spokesperson for the BC Coroners Service, said in an email statement to Victoria Buzz.
Panton said no other details could be released due to the early stages of the investigation.
The distress call came in at around 7 p.m., on Friday, June 30th, with the Canadian Coast Guard receiving the urgent message from the vessel.
The 40-foot boat had encountered a perilous situation, taking on water and eventually sinking. Rescue crews located two teenage girls, an adult woman, and a dog in a dinghy.
Fortunately, the US Coast Guard had a helicopter already airborne in the vicinity, allowing for a rapid deployment to the scene.
The aircrew from Port Angeles located a partially submerged dinghy with three individuals and a dog desperately clinging to it. The 13-year-old, 15-year-old, and adult were quickly rescued from the dinghy.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Coast Guard vessel recued the family dog.
While the trio were not dressed for the conditions, they were wearing life jackets, which played a crucial role in their survival.
Following the rescue, all three individuals were showing severe symptoms of hypothermia and were quickly transported to Victoria General Hospital.
The cause of the man’s death is currently unknown, as well, it’s unclear what caused the boat to sink.
#BREAKING (1/2) Last night around 7 pm, a #USCG aircrew from Port Angeles rescued 2 teenage females and 1 adult woman from a dinghy in the Salish Sea about 2 miles south of Victoria, B.C., The 40-foot vessel they were aboard took on water and quickly sank… pic.twitter.com/DWxWTDg5gj
— USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) July 1, 2023
According to the coast guard, the group, from the US, had departed from Seattle but it was unclear where they were heading and what caused the vessel to sink—the vessel was registered in Kenmore, Washington.
