Six missing people who were missing after a vessel sank near Richmond are now presumed drowned, according to Richmond RCMP.
The six people went missing after a commercial charter vessel sank on Sunday.
Ten people were aboard the vessel when it started to take on water near Roberts Bank at around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday.
Another civilian vessel reported the incident, and a marine search and rescue operation was launched by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria (JRCCV), which suspended efforts to find the six missing people near Richmond on Sunday evening.
“Despite extensive multi-agency search efforts conducted yesterday, four men and two women remain unaccounted for and are presumed drowned. The search has been suspended, and efforts have now shifted to recovery,” RCMP said in a release.
“The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team (URT) has been engaged and will attend the area in the coming days to locate the capsized vessel using sonar. Their assessment of the conditions will determine whether a dive operation is feasible, or whether alternate resources, such as a remotely operated vehicle (ROV, aka underwater drone), may be required,” it added.
RCMP said that the vessel sank in “very deep waters.”
Four people survived the incident, although two remain in critical condition.
RCMP said that a 26-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman have been discharged from the hospital, while a 33-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman remain critical.
“Police are working closely with Transport Canada, the Transportation Safety Board and other partner agencies to support the investigation and coordinate next steps,” the RCMP added.
An investigation is ongoing to determine what led to the boat sinking, to confirm the identities of the missing people, and to notify their next of kin.
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