Five people were rescued Monday evening after their vessel struck a reef and sank near Saturna Island’s Winter Cove.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre reported the vessel was traveling at high speed when the collision occurred. A nearby personal watercraft operator instructed the group to don life-jackets as the boat began to sink. Nearby boaters pulled all five from the water before emergency crews arrived.
No injuries were reported. Authorities dispatched a hovercraft, while Royal Canadian Mounted Police and search and rescue teams also mobilized. The centre urged all boaters to wear life-jackets and operate responsibly.
The incident comes one day after six people were presumed drowned in a separate charter boat sinking off Roberts Bank. Officials confirmed that no one in that incident was wearing a life-jacket.