A fatal fishing charter sinking in British Columbia's Strait of Georgia has sparked serious questions about the operator's response time, after a sister vessel was unaware of the disaster for hours.
The Top Ocean, a nine-metre charter boat, sank on June 28, leaving six people missing and presumed drowned. Its last automatic identification signal was sent at 10:35 a.m.
The charter company, Top Vancouver Fishing Charter, also operates a larger 11-metre Axopar boat. The owner, known as "Rocky," was aboard the larger vessel. A social media post from the company, made at 12:24 p.m. that day, boasted about a successful fishing trip with both boats.
The mother of the missing 22-year-old captain, Chen Ming, said she spoke to the operator on the Steveston dock after 7 p.m.-more than eight hours after the Top Ocean sank. By then, a massive search involving military aircraft was already underway.
The first mayday call about the sinking came at 11:45 a.m. from a passing sailboat, after the crew spotted people in the water without life jackets.
Transport Canada has since detained the larger Axopar vessel, citing safety violations, including operating a pleasure craft as a commercial passenger vessel.
The Top Ocean now rests in 153 metres of water. An underwater drone located it, but there was no sign of the six missing individuals, who ranged in age from 22 to 33 and came from B.C., Ontario, and Washington state.