Wind, ‘turbulent waters’ may have contributed to boat capsizing near Wreck Beach: RCMP
Posted October 24, 2023 2:43 pm.
Last Updated October 24, 2023 2:44 pm.
Mounties say “exceptionally strong winds and turbulent waters” may have played a role in the capsizing of a tugboat off the shores of Vancouver Monday.
The University RCMP says it received reports of a body washing up on Tower Beach — near Wreck Beach — just before 2:45 p.m.
It notes that came after the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre received a mayday distress call from a boat operator, which sparked a marine search operation in the area.
“The vessel had apparently capsized and the body was pulled ashore by a bystander,” the RCMP said in a release Tuesday.
Investigators say the University RCMP, Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, Canadian Coast Guard, and BC Emergency Health Services were all dispatched.
Despite first responders’ efforts, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
While the RCMP believes weather and water conditions may have been contributing factors in this incident, the cause of what happened is still not known.
Mounties note “all indications are that the man was operating the vessel alone.” It’s not believed anyone else was hurt.
Two Canadian Coast Guard vessels and a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter were deployed to conduct a search of the area, Lieut. Michelle Scott with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) said Monday.
The BC Coroner’s Service, Transportation Safety Board, and WorkSafe BC are all investigating.
-With files from Pippa Norman
