Three drown when boat capsizes off Savary Island; two rescued
Five-person vessel overturned in heavy winds Thursday; victims were all from Tla'amin Nation. Two survivors hospitalized.
Three men died Thursday night when their boat capsized approximately 500 to 1,000 metres off the shore of Savary Island in the Salish Sea. Two others survived and were taken to hospital.
All five aboard the six-metre vessel were from Tla'amin Nation. They had been clam digging on the north side of the island when the boat overturned amid heavy winds, according to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), which was alerted around 10 p.m.
Two individuals made it ashore and contacted authorities. Rescue teams deployed a Coast Guard lifeboat from Powell River, an inshore rescue craft from Cortes Bay, and an Air Force Kingfisher helicopter from Comox. The three deceased were located near the shoreline by responders.
Tla'amin Nation Chief John Hackett called the incident "a profound tragedy for the community." The nation opened its cultural centre to support grieving families. RCMP are assisting the BC Coroners Service in investigating the circumstances. Savary Island lies roughly 140 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.