Five dead after whale-watching boat sinks off British Columbia coast

At least five people have died after a whale-watching vessel carrying 27 sank off Canada's Pacific coast near Vancouver Island.

The 20-metre boat, which is operated by Jamie's Whaling Station, had been sailing in the waters off Tofino, a small town on Vancouver Island, before making a mayday call around 4pm, authorities said.

BC Coroners Service spokesperson Barbara McLintock confirmed to NBC News late Sunday that five people had died, but noted the death told could rise.

A spokeswoman for Tofino General Hospital told NBC that one person was in serious condition and seven other people were stable.

According to local media, 11 people received medical treatment or were taken to hospital.

A rescue helicopter, maritime surveillance aircraft and three Coast Guard vessels continued the search effort into the evening.

John Forde, owner of Tofino Whale Centre and captain of the local fire department, told CBC he was on a hot springs tour with customers when he heard the three-deck cruise vessel named Leviathan II was sinking.

He rushed to the scene, but the vessel was almost completely submerged when he arrived.

"It was quite close to the rocks and you could still see part of the vessel above water.

"There was a lot of injured and hypothermic people being brought in [on] water taxis, at least a dozen boats out there if not more."

Tom Campbell, a First Nations councillor, said he was on the waterfront and watched as rescue workers brought several survivors ashore.

“Their looks tell the whole story,” he told The Star.

“You can’t describe looks on people that are lost. They look totally lost — shocked and lost.”

Campbell noted that his cousin pulled at least eight people from the water into a boat.

It is not yet known what caused the vessel to sink, as locals have said the water was calm at the time, with low wind and bright conditions.

An employee who answered the phone said Jamie's Whaling Station was focused on the passengers and crew and would not release information at this stage.

This isn’t the first accident for the whale watching company, according to The Star.

In 1998, one of their vessels capsized during an excursion, sending all four people on board into the water. The operator and one of the passengers died.

The Transportation Safety Board confirmed it was investigating Sunday’s incident.