Three Men Die After Savary Island Clam-Fishing Boat Capsizes
Three men have drowned after their clam-fishing boat capsized off Savary Island, British Columbia, on the night of May 21. The incident occurred approximately 500 to 1,000 metres offshore, according to Powell River RCMP.
At about 11 p.m., the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria contacted Powell River RCMP regarding a boat that had flipped. Two men managed to swim to shore, but three others were missing. About an hour earlier, the rescue centre had been alerted that the personal fishing vessel had failed to return to Lund Harbour from the Savary Island area.
A major search and rescue operation was launched, involving a Canadian Coast Guard lifeboat, a fast rescue craft from Cortez Bay, and an RCAF Kingfisher rescue aircraft from Comox. Powell River RCMP officers and crews from Savary Island Fire conducted shoreline searches, eventually locating the three missing men deceased.
The two survivors were taken to Powell River for medical assessment. Police are assisting the B.C. Coroners Service in investigating the tragedy.
Region Sees Multiple Drowning Deaths in Same Week
The boating fatalities follow a week in which three other people died by drowning in the region. On the afternoon of May 20, first responders were called to assist an unresponsive scuba diver off Gabriola Island. The 66-year-old local man was found in the water near a mooring buoy. Despite life-saving efforts by bystanders and emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police determined he entered the water alone at Degnen Bay dock and swam about 30 metres before witnesses saw him motionless on the surface.
“This is a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the man’s family and those who were involved in the response,” said RCMP Cpl. Brett Urano. The investigation has been turned over to the coroner’s office.
On the evening of May 22, first responders were called to two unrelated drowning incidents on the Nanaimo waterfront. The first occurred near Departure Bay Beach, where a woman was found dead after police were called to check on her well-being just before 6 p.m. Search and rescue crews from Nanaimo and CFB Comox, along with Nanaimo Harbour Patrol and RCMP, responded. At about 9 p.m., the woman was located deceased.
Simultaneously, a report came in of a man in distress while swimming near the Brechin boat ramp at the north end of Stewart Avenue. He was pulled from the water but did not survive. Foul play is not suspected in either Nanaimo incident.
