1 child dead, 1 critically injured after boat crash at North Vancouver’s Cates Park
An 11-year-old child tragically lost their life in a devastating collision between two boats at Cates Park in North Vancouver on Saturday evening. The collision involved a speedboat and an inflatable tube carrying two children, which was being towed by another boat, just before 6:30 p.m. North Vancouver RCMP suspect that alcohol and speed may have been contributing factors to the crash.
During a news conference on Sunday afternoon, Cpl. Mansoor Sahak revealed that the speedboat struck the two children on their inflatable tube. Despite life-saving efforts, one child did not survive and was pronounced dead at the scene. The other child was airlifted to the hospital in serious condition, with their age not disclosed by authorities.
The driver of the speedboat, a North Vancouver man, has been taken into custody, although he has not yet been charged. Sahak urged any witnesses of the incident to come forward with any video footage that could assist in the investigation. The driver of the boat towing the tube was related to one of the children, and both children are from Vancouver.
Cates Park, also known as Whey-ah-Wichen, is located at the eastern end of Dollarton Highway along the Burrard Inlet shoreline. The park’s boat launch was temporarily closed during the police investigation but has since reopened.
B.C. Emergency Health Services responded to the incident with eight units, including a helicopter and an infant care team, after receiving a call at 6:37 p.m. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria dispatched multiple rescue vessels to aid in the response to the boating accident.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, responsible for boating traffic in the Burrard Inlet, expressed their sadness over the tragic incident and offered their support to the police and emergency services involved. They stated, “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this heartbreaking event.”
As authorities continue their investigation into the collision, it serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of boating safety and the potentially devastating consequences of reckless behavior on the water.
