Father and Son Among Those Killed in Whale Watching Tragedy

A coroner's report into the 1998 whale watching deaths made nine recommendations, including that Transport Canada look into proper flotation devices, but Spears said he didn't think there had been much done to implement them.

Canadian coroner Matt Brown said Mr Hooker and the four other passengers who died - Jack Slater, 76, Katie Taylor, 29, David Thomas, 50, and his son Stephen, 17 - had been standing on the upper deck and were not wearing life jackets when the boat began to sink, BBC reported.

There were a total of 24 passengers on board the Leviathan II and three crew members.

A young Lichfield woman was tonight named as one of the five victims of the Canadian whale-watching boat tragedy.

A search to find a sixth person, an Australian man, who is feared dead, continues today.

Mr Brown said the incident happened "very quickly" and the "chaotic environment" created "a very challenging rescue operation for many involved".

He said one of the people they rescued was a member of the crew who said the boat had been hit by a wave.

Other eye-witnesses have described how survivors were screaming for their lives as the water became "like a washing machine".

Numerous survivors were taken to Tofino General Hospital and a few were discharged Sunday night, said Valerie Wilson, a spokeswoman for the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

"Most importantly, what they share with commercial airline pilots is this keen sense that they have souls on board, that they are responsible for human beings".

A British woman watched in helpless horror as her husband and son died in the freezing sea when their whale watching boat capsized.

"We know that most passengers were on the top deck on the port side, that's the left side of the vessel". He went on to mention how used to human presence they are and how it is very rare they ever come so close to the boat.

Jamie Bray, owner of Jamie's Whaling Station and Adventure Centres, who operated the boat, confirmed passengers were not required to wear lifejackets while taking part in the whale watching trip.

"So when there's a distress call, every household in the community hears it. So when it came out, our people said "We've got to go and help", so they ran down to the dock and got into the boats".

"They were saying there was no wind, but when we were going out there was wind", he said. "That's why there weren't any communications on the radio, no mayday", Smith said.

"All of our thoughts and condolences are with the Thomas family at this awful time", she added.

The people driving the boats know everything about the mechanics of their vessel and are keenly aware of the weather, similar to airline pilots, Harris said.

Sheila Simpson said she was strolling on the dock with her husband when rescue boats roared up carrying people from the distressed vessel.

"My grandmother and my cousin are flying out to Canada to be with Julie tonight, but apart from them we are all here". "The waters weren't choppy so I don't see what could have caused the boat to sink, but you never know in these waters unfortunately", he said.

Relatives said he had been on the boat with his British girlfriend and her family.