Tofino residents trying to cope in the aftermath of tragedy
'The less time I'm on land, the better,' says resident who is not giving up search on missing man
As the tragedy of the whale-watching boat that capsized near Tofino, B.C settles in on residents, some are not ready to let go until they find the Australian man who is still missing.
Ravisham Pillay, 27, was a passenger on the MV Leviathan II that capsized on Sunday with 27 passengers and crew aboard.
Five British citizens died and 21 people were pulled from the water by residents who responded to the distress call.
"I wouldn't want to be left out there — lost," said Lennie John, from the community of Ahousaht. "I would want to be brought home,"
John says he hasn't stopped looking.
"Always have an eye out," he said, "less time I am on the land, the better. It's tough because I didn't find him," he said.
Facing trauma
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council has been offering mental health services and traditional healing gatherings, including a community dinner — effective coping mechanisms for those who have undergone trauma says a counsellor.
"It's very effective. Part of recovery is putting narrative to the story. It has always been part of traditional healing," said Bruce Ramsay, who specializes in critical incident stress management.
"When you talk about the events, you start to make sense of it," he said.
"Seeking to find meaning is every bit as important as getting it. Their processes are very very good."
But John says he isn't ready to find peace until the search is complete.
"I'd rather stay away from that," he said. "I know it's a celebration, but I come from a different family, different teachings. We don't celebrate death or anything like it, until it is all over. Until it is all totally shut down and stand down for the search."
To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelled Tofino resident not ready to give up on search for missing man on CBC's On The Island.