Man, 27, dies while surfing near Tofino

RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Service are investigating after a 27-year-old man died Saturday while surfing at Long Beach in Tofino.

"We understand that he died in a surfing accident but we are in the very early days of stages of our investigation and don't have any other details at this time," said Andy Watson who speaks for the service.

Witnesses say they came upon agroup of people onshore performing chest compressions on the victim, near LovekinRock at Long Beach.

The beach is in Pacific Rim National Park, between Tofinoand Ucluelet on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The victim was then transported from the scene by paramedics and staff from Pacific Rim National Park.

Officials have not yet said what happened to the man.

Conditions on the beach on Saturday were described as calm and sunny.

There are significant rip currents around LovekinRock at Long Beach,according to the national park.

Those currents can cause people in the water to be pulled away from shore.

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