The captain of the whale-watching cruiser that capsized off Tofino, B.C., says people on board acted with heroism as the ill-fated ship went down.
Five Britons were killed and an Australian man is presumed drowned after the Leviathan II sank on Sunday.
Through a statement released to media, Captain Wayne Dolby said while over the past week the people of Tofino and Ahousaht have been rightly credited for their response, the people who were on board also deserve to be praised.
“What we have not heard as much about is the courage and heroism of my passengers and crew who were involved in this terrible ordeal,” Dolby said.
The Transportation Safety Board indicated a rogue wave hit the boat while most of the 27 passengers and crew were on one side of the upper deck.
Dolby, who has worked for Jamie's Whaling Station for 18 years, said he is praying for the families involved.
“Most of all to the families, friends and loved ones of those who did not come home, I want to express my heartfelt sympathies and I pray your grief for their loss will not stay with you as long as it will stay with me,” he said.
The operations director for the Tofino firm called the sinking “a dark day” in the company’s history.
“Our company, our crews, and our staff remain heartbroken by this tragic accident and the road to healing will be a long one,” said Corene Inouye.
Full statement from Wayne Dolby, Captain
“Over the past week we have rightly heard of the courage and heroism of the people of Tofino, Ahousaht, the Coast Guard and others who assisted in the search and rescue. What we have not heard as much about is the courage and heroism of my passengers and crew who were involved in this terrible ordeal. Most of all to the families, friends and loved ones of those who did not come home, I want to express my heartfelt sympathies and I pray your grief for their loss will not stay with you as long as it will stay with me.”
Statement from Corene Inouye, Director of Operations, Jamie’s Whaling Station
The events of October 25, 2015 will be remembered as a very dark day in the history of Jamie's Whaling Station.
Our company, our crews, and our staff remain heartbroken by this tragic accident and the road to healing will be a long one.
We have spent the days since the accident assisting the authorities and looking for ways to provide support and comfort to those involved, including our passengers, the families and loved ones of those lost and our own crew who remain extremely devastated by what happened – in particular that they were unable to save all on board.
We will continue to seek to find ways to assist those impacted over the coming days.
Since 1982 our sole focus has been to provide a safe and authentic West Coast experience to visitors from around the world. Aside from conducting regular safety drills and requiring stringent certification for our crew, we have also been diligent in ensuring the safety and seaworthiness of our vessels.
The Leviathan II was fully tested and certified by Transport Canada for stability and other safety aspects after its initial modification into a whale watching vessel almost 20 years ago and has been inspected by officials every year since. Jamie’s would never have allowed a single passenger or anyone else to be on the water in a vessel that we were not absolutely confident was safe.
I would also like to once again express our most heartfelt thank you for the overwhelming comfort and support that has been provided during this horrible time. Through this tragedy we have been reminded of the strength, perseverance, and selflessness of our community.
To everyone here in Tofino, in Ahousaht and all along the coast, as well as everyone else who has reached out or supported in some way, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
