[Newsbot]

Title: Tour vessel sinks off Tofino, B.C., with fatalities
Category: Misc CDN
Posted By: Hyack
Date: 2015-10-25 17:44:58
Canadian

[Hyack]

Three or four dead on a beautiful sunny day and the water wasn't choppy or anything......

$1:

it was a beautiful day in Tofino with sunny skies.

"The waters weren't choppy so I don't see what could have caused the boat to sink, but you never know in these waters unfortunately," he added.

Sounds like it could have been a problem with the boat......

unless it was rammed by a great white whale.....

[andyt]

Hit a rock or such? Hard to see a problem with a boat severe enough to sink it.

[Freakinoldguy]

My condolences to the families of the deceased.

At first I thought that it might have capsized but, if the picture is accurate the boat looks to have been to large and stable to do that with just 27 people rushing from one side to the other so unless they got caught by a rogue wave that's highly unlikely. So it must have been something else.

I wonder how much traffic was in the area at the time because most if not all civilian ships don't post lookouts and if the lone bridge watch keeper wasn't paying attention a collision could be one possible cause.

But, if it had just been a problem with the boat they should have been able to get everyone off and into the rafts so, whatever happened, happened quick and given the water temp, the search for survivors is now likely a recovery operation.

[andyt]

$1:

The boat sank near Plover Reefs,

“The sea was 3 to 4 metres, a fairly big sea, but not much wind or too unusual for the conditions we deal with on a regular basis out here,”

So not exactly calm water. If the boat lost power and got broadside to the swells, maybe that could do it.

[BartSimpson]

This is the lead story on several networks in the USA this morning.

From the pictures I'm seeing the boat went down near some rocks so I'm wondering why people were not able to make it to the rocks to get out of the water. Also, the boat wasn't completely under when rescuers arrived so I'm also wondering why the less-able didn't stay with the boat.

Five people from the UK are dead according to the news.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/ ... 2M20151026

$1:

John Forde, who works at another eco-adventure company, said passengers on a vessel like the Leviathan II, a three-deck 65-foot cruiser that can carry up to 46 people, would not have had to wear life jackets. The boat, like ferries, would only be required to have life jackets on board.

Sounds like that's an idea that needs to change if these whale watching boats are going to be navigating close to rocks - and this one was.

[andyt]

The boat capsize. Probably hard to stay on board in those conditions.

[BartSimpson]

andyt andyt:

The boat capsize. Probably hard to stay on board in those conditions.

True.

[BartSimpson]

Reports are saying five confirmed dead and one missing. All British it seems.

[martin14]

3 - 4 meters for a 65foot boat is nothing.

Something else happened.

[BartSimpson]

martin14 martin14:

3 - 4 meters for a 65foot boat is nothing.

Something else happened.

I notice they were in a rocky area - could have hit something underwater.

[Freakinoldguy]

martin14 martin14:

3 - 4 meters for a 65foot boat is nothing.

Something else happened.

The news at noon gave an update which said the survivors claimed that the vessel went abeam the sea while watching a colony of sea lions, built up momentum rocking back and forth and finally, capsized.

I've gone 54 degrees on a roll in a Destroyer and thought we were goners but, it was a one time thing so to let your vessel slowly build up momentum to a point past that defies logic.

[BartSimpson]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

The news at noon gave an update which said the survivors claimed that the vessel went abeam the sea while watching a colony of sea lions, built up momentum rocking back and forth and finally, capsized.

I hope it was worth it.

[andyt]

Tofino whale-watching boat capsized after wave struck, says TSB

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... -1.3291530


The skipper may have 20 yrs experience, but going abeam to the swells and then everybody standing topside on one side of the boat doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

[BartSimpson]

The Eastland Disaster comes to mind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Eastland