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.
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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.
