About 100 mourners gathered at the Imperial Landing Docks in Steveston, B. C.
, on Sunday night for an emotional vigil honoring six people presumed drowned after a commercial charter boat sank in the Strait of Georgia on June 28.
The vessel, operated by Top Vancouver Fishing Charter, capsized with 10 people on board, including two crew members and eight passengers.
Four survivors suffering from hypothermia were rescued, while six individuals remain missing in deep waters.
Richmond RCMP and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are investigating the incident.
Authorities stated that the Underwater Recovery Team is using sonar technology in depths between 150 and 180 meters, though challenging sea conditions have slowed the recovery efforts.
Captain Remembered as Caring and Experienced
Family members identified the vessel's captain as 23-year-old Chen Ming of Richmond.
His mother, Ashley Lin, wore her son's jacket to the vigil and expressed profound grief alongside his girlfriend, Hailey Lee, while scattering white flower petals into the water.
"He is a nice kid. He is very loving, very kind-hearted… He’s very warm-hearted," said Lin to Global News.
Lin recalled the devastating moment she discovered her son was among the individuals missing at sea after the vessel went down.
"I was told that there were four survivors, that six people were missing and Ming Chen was one of them," she said.
Following the incident, family members joined the active search efforts near the Delta area, holding onto hope that survivors might still be found.
"We not only searched the area where the boat sank, but we also searched the Delta area because that day was really, really windy," Lin said.
Lin noted that her son was an experienced operator who had spent a decade fishing before joining the charter company.
"He was a very independent kid; I’m not really a good mom; he was the one who took care of the whole family," she said.
According to Lin, Chen loved his profession but had previously mentioned that the specific boat presented operational difficulties.
"He has had a lot of experience with boating, with operating the boat," Lin explained.
Lin stated that the owner of Top Fishing Charter recognized Chen's passion for the sport and brought him onto the crew after he relocated to Vancouver.
"The owner found (my son) to be very smart and also he could tell that he really loved fishing, so he started asking him to help out on the boat," Lin said.
While official reports indicated that no passengers or crew were wearing life jackets, Lin defended her son's actions during the emergency.
"He loved his job, and he enjoyed taking people out fishing.
Because I didn’t know much, so he didn’t really share many details with me, but sometimes he did mention that the boat wasn’t very easy to operate," Lin said.
Lin called upon the charter company's management to assist in the recovery and provide a transparent explanation regarding the vessel's condition.
"I am just one person," she said.
"I hope he could help to find all the six missing people and also I want to find out how this happened.
I think he is responsible."
Lin stated that all the affected families remain waiting for news regarding their missing loved ones.
"My only hope is for all the six people to come back home," Lin said. "All the families are waiting for them to come home."
Speaking to OMNI Television, Lin reiterated her belief that Chen acted selflessly to protect those on board during the capsizing.
"He is a very responsible and caring person. I believe that in that moment, he was thinking of others before himself," said Lin.
Lin and Lee expressed their ongoing heartbreak as they wait for updates from the police investigation.
"I just want him to come back home. Hailey and I are waiting for you at home.
You’ve been out long enough," said Lin.
Lee noted that she had communicated with the charter firm immediately following the tragedy but received no subsequent contact.
"They just kept saying they didn’t know and were waiting for updates from the police," said Lin.
Lee added that the company stopped communicating with the family shortly after that initial interaction.
"Since then, they haven’t contacted us again," adds Lee.
Lee also shared her thoughts on Chen's social media account, requesting that followers focus on positive messages.
"I hope everyone can leave comments wishing for a miracle instead of just saying ‘rest in peace.’ Let’s send our blessings to him," said Lee.
Community and Officials Call for Safety Review
Vigil organizer Summer Guo, a friend of the captain, recounted exchanging text messages with Chen on the morning of the disaster.
"One of the victims is my friend, the captain; he’s a really good guy and he’s built up a lot of relationships in my fishing group chat and we really miss him," Summer Guo said.
Guo explained that the group had intentionally delayed their departure due to adverse weather conditions in the area.
"We really miss him and we want to find out what’s going on, what happened, and we want to send our prayers and hope he could come home," Guo said.
Guo emphasized that Chen was highly respected within the local recreational fishing community.
"They were actually waiting for the wind to kind of slow down a little bit, for the waves to chill out a little.
So yeah, it’s safer to go out, right?" Guo added.
Guo concluded his thoughts by expressing how deeply the young captain would be missed by his friends.
"He’s just a really good guy. I really miss him."
Former coworker Bob Zhang attended the vigil and revealed that a side door on the 30-foot aluminum KingFisher vessel had malfunctioned during a previous trip in May, an issue Lee reported had also caused flooding two days before the sinking.
"We got lucky we didn’t get so many waves and winds that day," said Zhang.
Conservative MP Chak Au, whose son participated in the search and rescue operation, addressed the mourning crowd and pledged a $5,000 donation to Chen's family.
"They spent the whole afternoon last Sunday trying to find the victims, and my son was later heartbroken to learn that six lives were lost," Au said, shaking his head.
Au emphasized the need for the community to rally around the grieving relatives both locally and overseas.
"We all gathered here with a heavy heart since victims’ families, whether they are here or overseas, are experiencing immense grief and sorrow," Au said to the crowd, many of whom were sobbing.
"We should offer endless compassion, care, and help for them."
Au suggested that Canadian maritime authorities should review safety regulations, specifically regarding life-jacket requirements for adults and annual vessel safety inspections.
"I understand adults aren’t legally required to wear a life-jacket in Canada, but sometimes boats can tilt in seconds, leaving no time to put on a life-jacket," said Au, “Maybe we should consider implementing more regulations related to boating safety.”
Transport Canada records indicate that the sunken vessel's identification number matches a boat registered to Lihe Yin and Shengnan Song, with Song listed as the sole director of Top Vancouver Fishing Charter Inc. When contacted by phone, a man identifying himself as Yin denied knowledge of the vessel and hung up, while the company's website has paused online bookings.
