Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Charter Boat Sinks Off Richmond; Six Presumed Drowned

RCMP dive teams are using sonar to locate the wreck in very deep water and the Richmond Serious Crimes Unit is leading a criminal investigation.

Tim Milne says he he sold his 30-foot KingFisher aluminum vessel called Big Coast, pictured here, to new owners four years ago. Ten people were aboard the charter boat that sank near Roberts Bank on Sunday. Six are presumed drowned.
The vessel that sank, Big Coast, was sold to a new owner about four years ago.

Overview

  • The charter boat capsized on Sunday with 10 people aboard; four passengers were rescued and six are missing and presumed drowned.
  • Search and recovery operations are ongoing in very deep water with the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team and private contractors using sonar and specialised equipment, and authorities warn recovery could take several days.
  • The vessel has been identified as a 30-foot KingFisher once used by the TV show Big Coast that was sold more than four years ago, and the former owner said he never met the new owner.
  • Showrunners and the former owner say the boat kept an AIS/MMSI registration tied to Big Coast after the sale, creating contact confusion while also providing a broadcast track that helped investigators.
  • Federal rules allow a used boat to retain an MMSI but require owners to update contact details with ISED, and investigators say they will examine registration, safety compliance, passenger capacity and life-jacket use as part of the probe.