2 dead, 1 rescued after Canadian fishing boat sinks off Washington coast

Two people died after a Canadian fishing vessel sank off the coast ofWashington state on Tuesday,CBCNews has learned.

The U.S. Coast Guardsaid a third person on board was rescued andis in good health.

ABC Coroners Service spokesperson confirmed that two people diedand that both people were Canadian.

In a statement, the coast guard said it received a radio distress call around 2 a.m. PT on Tuesday from the 20-metre commercial fishing vessel, Arctic Fox II, which was about 135 kilometres off Cape Flattery in Washington state at the time.

Cape Flattery is the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States. It is just south of Port Renfrewon Vancouver Island, across the Salish Sea.

The caller said the vessel was taking on water, and three people aboard planned to abandon ship. The caller reported they were wearing survival suits floating suits that help delay the onset of hypothermia.

The coast guard deployed a helicopter from Oregon and a plane from California to search for the crew. Once the aircrewarrived, the coast guard said, they immediately spotted a lifeboat with one survivor aboard. He was hoisted into the helicopter.

Petty Officer Michael Clark, a spokesperson for theU.S. Coast Guard, said the survivor, a Canadian,was taken to a coast guard base at Neah Bay, close to Cape Flattery, where he was assessed and found to be in good health.

Clark said U.S. Customs and Border Protectionis facilitating his return to Canada.

Lt.-Cmdr. Tony Wright with theJoint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria said the agency sent a helicopter and a plane to assist, but both had returned to the Comox airbase by Tuesday afternoon.

Clark said the boat has now sunk in international waters. Canadian authorities will likely lead the investigation, and the U.S. will assist.

Transport Canada lists a fishing boat named Arctic Fox II in its vessel registration system.

According to the federal registry, Arctic Fox II is a wood-built boatconstructed in Scotland in 1947. Victoria is its port of registry.

Teague Fishing Corp.of Shawnigan Lake, B.C.owns the boat. In a email statement on Wednesday, the company wrote that it is co-operating with the ongoing investigation.

"We are grieving the loss of crew aboard the vessel and extend our heartfelt condolences to the families," it said.

The coroner said both bodies have been flown to Victoriaand next of kin have been notified.