UPDATED: Six presumed dead after charter vessel sinks near Vancouver airport, says RCMP

Six people who were aboard a commercial charter vessel that sank near Richmond on Sunday remain missing and are now presumed drowned.The RCMP said the four men and two women are unaccounted for following extensive multi-agency search efforts. The active search has been suspended and operations have shifted to recovery.The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team has been tasked with locating the capsized vessel using sonar in the coming days. The vessel is believed to have sunk in very deep waters, and officials will assess conditions to determine whether a dive operation or a remotely operated vehicle will be used.A 26-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman have been discharged from hospital. A 33-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman remain in critical condition.The boat, which was carrying 10 people, got into trouble and began taking on water around 11:45 a.m. near Roberts Bank according to multiple sources..A nearby civilian vessel reported seeing people in the water without life jackets on Sunday — particularly hazardous in the Strait of Georgia’s strong tidal currents, cold waters, and busy shipping lanes near the Fraser River outflow.A large rescue operation quickly got underway. Military search helicopters and planes, the Coast Guard hovercraft, lifeboats, and other marine units, including diverted ferries, responded. Four people were pulled from the water and taken to hospital for treatment.The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre later suspended its active search. According to veteran BC journalist Bob Mackin, responsibility for the six missing people has now been handed over to the RCMP..Mackin also raised concerns about the lack of public updates from officials. “This should be one of Canada’s top stories — six people reported missing — and there should have been a news conference by top rescue officials by now. Odd silence or just the usual slow communications by Canadian authorities?” he posted on X..Basic details, including confirmation that a charter boat sank and the numbers of people involved, were released Sunday through statements from the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP. However, as the search continued into the evening and was later suspended, further information on developments, the handover to police, and next steps has been sparse.The investigation into the cause of the sinking is ongoing and no further details are being provided at this time.

UPDATED: Six presumed dead after charter vessel sinks near Vancouver airport, says RCMP

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