2 bodies recovered after tugboat goes missing off B.C.'s North Coast near Kitimat

Two men are dead and a third has been rescued after a tugboat went missing off the North Coast of British Columbia Wednesday night.

The RCMP vessel Inksterstationed in Hartley Bay was called into action at around 12:40 a.m. on Thursday after anemergency beacon was detected from a tugboat in the Gardner Canal, according to a police press release. An RCMP crewlocatedthe first victim, and the second was discovered by the Canadian Coast Guard.

The survivor was spotted on shore by a private helicopter and has been taken to hospital, according to RCMP.

Few details have been released about the incident, but thesearch efforts were focused on an area 35 nautical miles south of Kitimat, B.C., where abarge being pulled by the tugboat has beenfound.

According to Mounties, the tug was towing thebarge fromKitimat to Kemanowhen it went missing.

The search and rescue operationfor the vessel has since ended, according to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria. They have notsaid whether the tug was located.

Officials say weather conditions hampered the search efforts, and prevented air resources from the Canadian Armed Forces from being used in the operation.

The BCCoroners Service, WorkSafeBC and the Transportation Safety Board have all been advised of the incident.