Bob Mackin
The death toll from the June 28 sinking of a Richmond fishing charter in the Strait of Georgia is now seven.
Six people were presumed drowned. A 28-year-old Chinese woman, who was most-recently resided in Seattle, died in hospital, the Richmond RCMP Serious Crime Unit announced July 8.
Photo of the sunken vessel, from the Top Vancouver Fishing website.
Three survivors have been released from hospital: a woman from Toronto (33), a man from Redmond, Wash. (33) and a man from Richmond (26).
Six people officially remain missing: Males from Toronto (33), West Vancouver (32), Richmond (22) and China, but recently resided in Seattle (31); and women from Redmond, Wash. (31), West Vancouver (29).
RCMP is refusing to release names. The 22-year-old captain has been identified publicly by his family and friends as Ming Chen of Richmond.
On July 6, the RCMP’s Underwater Recovery Team, with help from West Coast Marine Services, found the Top Ocean (identified on vessel tracking sites by its previous name, Big Coast) 2017 Kingfisher 3025 Destination, which was operated by Top Vancouver Fishing Charter Inc.
Steveston-departed boat’s last position in the Strait of Georgia on June 28, about 12 minutes before Mayday called. (MarineTraffic.com)
The only name on the company’s 2025-filed corporate registration is Song Shengnan. Song’s address is a nine-room, 11-bathroom mansion on 2.2 acres of Westminster Highway farmland east of No. 4 Road. It was assessed at $4.6 million last year.
The fishing charter boat that sank June 28 in the Strait of Georgia is 153 metres below the surface near Roberts Bank, the Richmond RCMP says.
“Although investigators were able to confirm the vessel’s identity, significant depth, darkness and underwater conditions limited efforts to examine the interior. Searches of the surrounding seabed did not locate any occupants outside the vessel.”
The recovery “will require highly specialized marine equipment and technical expertise.”
Richmond RCMP is working with Transport Canada, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, WorkSafeBC and the B.C. Coroners Service and is hoping to talk to anyone with information about the June 28 charter and those who travelled on previous Top Fishing charters.
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