Two were declared dead and three others were given first aid treatment and released from the hospital. The incident involved a fishing boat that went down off the west coast of Vancouver Island near the remote tourist community of Tofino.
All five people on board the vessel were taken to shore but health officials later confirmed that two of them had died. The 8.5-meter long catamaran was fishing for halibut near Bartlett Island.
Someone on the boat made a distress call around 1:20 PM. While the boat was attempting to move in a better position during the call, it lost communications.
Coast guard rescue boats, a plane from CFB Comox, and a Royal Canadian Air Forces were all dispatched to look for the passengers and a broadcast was put out asking marine vessels in the area to search.
Two commercial floatplanes also responded to the call for help. One of them spotted the people in the water and directed rescuers to the location.
All five people were recovered from the water by two vessels of opportunity that were close to the position.
The boats lined up with the coast guard and an off-duty paramedic performed CPR to one passenger while a Coast Guard Rescue Specialist attempted to resuscitate another.
All five people were taken to emergency health services in Tofino. The cause why the vessel was inundated with water remains unclear.
Why basic first aid is vital?
In instances where you are faced with a scenario where a person needs help and there is no medical personnel around, being trained on first aid and CPR is an advantage. Enrolling in first aid and CPR course is essential.
For more information about this story, click here.
LEARN MORE
Learn how to help those in need by enrolling in first aid and CPR course and for more information, check out these sources:
https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/cardiopulmonary-resuscitation-cpr-treatment