BC Coroners Service confirm finding of missing whale-watching victim near Tofino

By Contributor

The BC Coroners Service has confirmed that a body recovered at Vargas Island near Tofino, British Columbia, is that of missing Australian tourist Raveshan Morgan Pillay.

Pillay was with a group of tourists on the whale-watching vessel Leviathan II when it went down at Plover Ridge off Vargas Island on Oct. 25, 2015.

Five of the boat’s 27 occupants were confirmed deceased as a result of the incident. Despite extensive search efforts over the following days, Mr. Pillay was not found.

In the early evening of Nov. 18, 2015, surfers reported finding a body on the beach of Vargas Island.

An investigation has established that it is the body of Pillay. He is now confirmed as the sixth fatality of the events of October. 25.

Pillay was an Australian citizen. The other five deceased – four men and a woman – were all British nationals.

The BC Coroners Service, Transportation Safety Board and RCMP continue to investigate the circumstances that led to the deaths of Pillay and the five others.

Pillay’s family has been notified of his death. On behalf of family members, the BC Coroners Service asks that the media respect their privacy at this difficult time.