Fish farm worker dead after accident at Vancouver Island facility
Salmon farming company Cermaq Canada says an employee died at one of its sites
The BC Coroners Service has confirmed that a male worker died during an incident at a salmon fish farm off the west coast of Vancouver Island on Sunday.
Global salmon farming company Cermaq Canada confirmed that one of its employees had died at one of its sites in a statement published on the company website on Monday.
"Out of respect for the family of the employee who has passed, the employees involved, and the official followup process, we will not be providing any further details at this time," the statement reads.
The company adds that the Canadian Coast Guard responded to the incident and that it is working with other authorities on the investigation into the accident.
The BC Coroners Service says it is in the early stages of a fact-finding investigation into the man's death and that WorkSafeBC is also investigating.
Spokesman Craig Fitzsimmons said Tuesday in an email that WorkSafeBC was notified about a "serious boating incident" in the Tofino area on Sunday.
Investigators were sent to the scene.
"The primary purpose of our investigation is to identify the cause of the incident, including any contributing factors, so that similar incidents can be prevented from happening in the future," Fitzsimmons said.