Six presumed dead after charter boat sinks near Richmond

Four men and two women are presumed drowned after a commercial charter vessel sank on Sunday near Richmond, with search efforts shifted to recovery operations.

Several emergency services responded to a call around 11:45 a.m. from a vessel reporting multiple people in the water without life jackets about 10 nautical miles southwest of Vancouver International Airport. Four people were recovered and taken to hospital by BC Ambulance — a 33-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman both remain in critical condition, while a 26-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman have since been discharged.

The search was called off around 9:45 p.m. on Sunday. The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team has been engaged to locate the capsized vessel in deep waters using sonar. Their assessment of conditions will determine whether a dive operation is feasible or whether alternate resources, such as a remotely operated vehicle or underwater drone, will be required.

The investigation remains ongoing to determine the cause of the sinking and to confirm the identities of the six missing individuals. Police are working with Transport Canada, the Transportation Safety Board and other agencies to support the investigation and coordinate next steps.