Lessons to learn from Tofino tragedy

We often treat the ocean that surrounds us as a place to play, but we must never forget its dangers.

The Transportation Safety Board’s report into the sinking of the Leviathan II shows that the sea’s unpredictability, combined with human decisions, can be lethal.

In October 2015, 27 people enjoying a whale-watching cruise off Tofino were pitched into the water when a large wave capsized their boat. Without life jackets, those who had been on the upper deck fought to stay afloat while those inside the cabin tried to smash their way out through the windows. They drifted for 45 minutes before search and rescue crews knew what had happened.

Despite the efforts of rescuers, six people died.

The board said that the wave, as high as the top of the boat’s bridge, was unexpected. But decisions made by governments and the company made a dangerous situation worse.

Many of the passengers were standing on the top deck on one side of the ship when the wave hit the other side. Initially, observers speculated that the weight of those people or the structure of the boat had caused it to roll.

The board decided neither of those things were factors. The wave was unusually high and steep because incoming waves over the rising ocean floor hit a tide going in the opposite direction. Mariners know that the resulting sharp waves, unlike regular ocean swells, are hazardous.

The report recommends that tour companies such as Jamie’s Whaling Station do risk assessments of the areas where they operate, so ship captains know potential trouble spots such as the one that capsized the Leviathan II.

Even with risk assessments, however, the sea remains perilous. If something goes wrong, and people end up in the water, our cold ocean can kill them quickly. That’s why we should be concerned about the things that were not done before the ship set sail.

Despite past recommendations, Transport Canada does not require passengers to wear lifejackets on vessels such as the Leviathan II.

Even though decades of advertising campaigns have urged boaters to wear life-jackets in their own recreational craft, tourists and others who have little experience on the water can wander around exposed decks of relatively small vessels without one.

The ship had life-jackets, but when it turned over, there was no time for anyone to grab them.

“None of the passengers were wearing life-jackets and, as they struggled to keep their heads and mouths above water in heavy swells, some passengers ingested sea water, oil and fuel,” said Kathy Fox, head of the federal agency.

“When people find themselves immersed in cold water, every second counts, even more so in a rapid capsizing situation like this one.

“Disoriented, separated from loved ones and without any flotation aid, some of them panicked, were struck by debris or simply couldn’t swim.”

Cold, wet, fearful, they then had to wait for help because the ship had no automatic emergency beacon. It was only by luck that someone found an emergency flare.

All of these problems can be fixed. Wearing a life-jacket inside a cabin can be dangerous in an emergency, but some kind of flotation should be mandatory for passengers on outer decks. Jamie’s has already changed its policies so that passengers on outer decks must wear inflatable personal flotation devices.

Automatic emergency beacons should also be mandatory. Swift help is crucial on the water, and automatic beacons can summon help even if the crew has no time to make a radio distress call.

The safety board has made recommendations that could save lives. The companies and the government must act on them.