B.C. TV show says boat that sank off Richmond was ‘utilized’ for several years

A B.C.-based TV show about fishing and boating in the province’s waters has released a short statement about the charter boat that sank off the coast of Richmond on Sunday.

Six people are still missing and presumed drowned after the boat sank in the Roberts Bank area.

Four people were rescued following the capsizing.

Now, the TV show Big Coast, which has been running for 19 seasons, says the vessel that sank was “utilized” for several years on the show and sold to new owners in Richmond over four years ago.

It is not known if the company that purchased it was the same company still operating it when the ship sank.

“Repeated efforts to have new owners change AIS handle went nowhere and have led to confusion, especially given this tragic outcome off the South Coast,” showrunners posted on the Facebook page.

According to the Government of Canada, AIS is an Automatic Identification System, which helps “identify ships, assist in target tracking, assist in search and rescue operation, simplify information exchange… and provide additional information to assist situational awareness.”

Vessels equipped with AIS transponders continuously broadcast their information over the VHF maritime band, according to the federal government.

The AIS broadcasts information to other vessels and the Coast Guard, such as the vessel name and call sign, the ship type and dimensions, position, navigational status and Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number.

That number is a nine-digit number assigned to a radio or an AIS unit.

The Canadian government states that when someone buys a used boat, they can keep the MMSI, but ownership and contact details need to be updated with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).

“I got a bunch of posts, even on our Facebook, saying it’s actually a good thing your AIS was still on that boat because these guys probably wouldn’t of had one otherwise, and then no one would know what happened to the boat after this accident occurred,” Tim Milne, host of Big Coast, told Global News.

“Part of the reason we have a track on it, and there can be some recovery, is because the AIS system was actually working.”

The charter boat that sank on Sunday remains in what Richmond RCMP called “very deep waters,” and the RCMP Underwater Dive Team has been called in to use specialized equipment to see where the vessel is and if it can be pulled to the surface.

“Heartfelt condolences to all involved in the terrible maritime accident occurring off Richmond, BC in (the) Strait of Georgia,” the Big Coast stated on its Facebook page.

“Thoughts are with survivors, families of victims and all those involved in rescue operations.”