The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria says it responded to a distress call about a capsized boat early Monday afternoon in the waters off Vancouver, not far from the entrance to English Bay. A Coast Guard hovercraft and boat stand by near the Second Narrows Bridge during an operation in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, July 4, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Republished October 24, 2023 - 2:41 PM
Original Publication Date October 24, 2023 - 10:21 AM
VANCOUVER - A 61-year-old man is dead after a tugboat he was operating capsized in waters off Vancouver in blustery conditions.
The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria says it responded to a distress call about a capsized boat on Monday, not far from the entrance to English Bay.
By the time the Coast Guard hovercraft, several other rescue boats and a search-and-rescue helicopter reached the scene off Point Grey, there was no sign of the vessel.
RCMP say the body was pulled ashore by a bystander and despite the best efforts of emergency responders, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say the man was operating the vessel alone and no one else was hurt.
The cause of the capsizing is under investigation, although police say contributing factors may include exceptionally strong winds and turbulent waters.
The case has now been handed over to the RCMP's University of B.C. detachment, which has jurisdiction over the shoreline where the body was recovered.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2023.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2023