Three dead after boat overturns on flooded Squamish River

Three people have died after a boat overturned on the Squamish River in British Columbia during days of heavy rain and flooding.

The incident

Squamish RCMP said eight people were aboard the boat when it overturned on Thursday. Five people were rescued, and no one is unaccounted for. Police received the call at about 1:52 p.m. on Nov. 12.

Insp. Robert Dykstra, officer in charge of the Sea to Sky RCMP, said he believed the boat ran into something, but he was not sure why the group was on the water or what caused the boat to overturn. Police have not released details about the victims or survivors.

"I do believe that they ran into something. That’s all I really know at this point," Dykstra told reporters on Friday.

Recovery efforts

A third body was recovered by Friday afternoon, after police initially said two people had died and a third was missing. Three full white body bags were unloaded from a helicopter at the Squamish airport around 1:30 p.m.

Specialized resources were deployed, including Squamish Search and Rescue, RCMP Air Services, emergency response teams, underwater recovery teams and marine services. Cpl. Ashley MacKay of the Squamish RCMP said weather and river conditions played a significant role in the response.

"The weather and river conditions have played a significant role in the response efforts," MacKay said in a release. "This is a very dynamic and evolving incident, and the safety of responders and the public remains paramount."

Police asked the public to stay off the water due to dangerous flow rates and debris throughout the river systems.

Flooding context

Southwest British Columbia was drenched by storms that brought more than 300 millimetres of rain to some areas this week. The Sea to Sky corridor, including Squamish and Pemberton, was among the areas hardest hit.

A road washout and the state of the raging river delayed responders’ access to the area. All rainfall warnings for the region were lifted by Friday, though effects of the deluge continued. The province’s River Forecast Centre downgraded warnings for the south coast to a high streamflow advisory and ended flood watches for Fraser Valley north, the central coast and east Vancouver Island.

Environment Canada warned of a storm surge that could raise sea levels in low-lying and exposed coastal areas of Metro Vancouver, southeast Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands, with elevated water levels driven by high winds and "enhanced wave activity."

Community response

Legislator Jeremy Valeriote, who represents West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, said he was "devastated" and his thoughts were with the victims’ families. He said the Sea to Sky region "is a strong and resilient community."

B.C. premier-designate Lorne Doerkson called the situation "very serious" and said he intended to visit the area. Wilson Williams, chairperson of the Squamish Nation, said he was "calling upon Mother Nature" to protect those in areas dealing with hazardous weather.

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Sources

• theglobeandmail.com: Three dead after flood-related boating incident in Squamish, B.C. - The Globe and Mail
• squamishchief.com: Update: Three people now confirmed dead in boating incident - Squamish Chief
• globalnews.ca: 3 people dead, 5 rescued after boating incident in Squamish Valley - BC | Globalnews.ca
• canadianinquirer.net: Three dead in Squamish boating accident as B.C. warns of dangerous river conditions - Philippine Canadian Inquirer Nationwide Filipino Newspaper
• westernstandard.news: UPDATED: Three dead, one missing after Squamish Valley boating accident

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.