This photograph of the MV Leviathan II was shot by Albert Titian as Ahousaht First Nation boats scrambled to help those forced into the water as the ship sank.
From First Nations communities to local boaters to nearby residents, the fast rescue effort in Tofino, B.C., is being credited with saving the lives of many sightseers whose whale-watching boat sank late Sunday.
Local fishermen raced to the reef at the first sign of trouble Sunday and were credited with rescuing many of those struggling in the cold water. But after hours of searching, the mission was declared concluded. Five British tourists are confirmed dead and one person is unaccounted for. That case was turned over to the RCMP as a missing persons investigation, said a recorded update from the joint rescue co-ordination centre.
Boats belonging to First Nation fishermen were instrumental in the rescue effort.
"I can't thank the #Tofino community & our Nuu-chah-nulth neighbours enough. The outpouring of support is nothing short of phenomenal," said Tofino mayor Josie Osborne on social media.
Boats from the nearby Ahousaht First Nation, the largest of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations, were the first on the scene, said aboriginal Councillor Tom Campbell.
He was on the waterfront and watched as rescue personnel brought several of the survivors ashore.
"Their looks tell the whole story," he said on the phone from Tofino. "You can't describe looks on people that are lost. They look totally lost – shocked and lost."
Mr. Campbell, who wasn't on the water, said his cousin pulled at least eight people from the water into a boat.
Fishing guide Lance Desilets was shocked when he got to the accident site.
The Leviathan II, a 20-metre-long vessel used by Jamie's Whaling Station and Adventure Centres to take tourists on nature cruises around Clayoquot Sound, was partially resting on the bottom – and the surface of the water was covered with floating, personal debris.
"There were purses, jackets, all kinds of stuff on the water ... It's terrible. I'm beside myself," he said. "It was brutal."
Mr. Desilets said he rushed to the scene as soon as he heard emergency broadcasts over the marine radio.
He added that when he got to Plover Reef, there were a dozen boats trying to help. Mr. Desilets said he pulled in what personal items he could find, then returned to Tofino.
Mr. Desilets, who runs Lance's Sportfishing Adventures and is on the water constantly, said Plover Reef is a popular spot for tour boats to stop because of the marine life there.
"My guess is they were watching sea lions. I guess they got too close and hit the rocks," he said.
"It's rugged and rocky. There's quite a substantial tide change ... Waves were crashing against the rocks and the tide would have been pulling you out," he said.
The manager of the Shelter Restaurant in Tofino said fishermen and fishing charter companies had joined the rescue effort, with about 15-20 boats leaving the tourist town.
"Practically anyone who can go will go," said Matthew, who did not give his last name. "People here get together to help when things like this happen," he added.
Joe Martin, a member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, said members of his family were among the first to arrive at the scene of the accident.
He said Marcel Martin, Carl Martin and Don Williams Jr. were coming back from a fishing trip when they heard emergency calls on the marine radio.
"They knew the Leviathan II had been near Plover Reef because they saw it earlier, and then they couldn't see it any more," he said of the whale-watching boat.
The three fishermen raced to the reef, and Mr. Martin said they told him they heard a whistle blowing and saw about nine people alive in the water, being helped into another rescue boat.
"They went to get two bodies out of the water and they were so close to the rocks they were getting washed up there themselves," he said. "They got two in and then a third body floated up. So they got three."
He said the experience had left the three men shaken.
"They are going to need some help [emotionally]," he said.
Marcel Martin said he didn't feel up to talking about it when contacted later.
John Forde, who runs the Whale Centre, another whale-watching operation in the community, responded to the call for help and was told they were looking for four or five missing people.
"It's a pretty sad situation when you're doing a grid pattern to an area hoping to see something," he said, adding that it didn't look hopeful as the time dragged on without finding survivors.
Local companies all pitched in to help in the rescue effort, said Brandon Hilbert from Tofino Water Taxi.
Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne said residents rushed to help when they heard of the accident. Local boaters raced to the scene and people gathered at the dock with blankets.
"My heart just sank when I heard what had happened," she said. "You just think about what people are going through waiting to hear [who survived and who didn't]. It's terrible."
On shore, witnesses watched as boats returned with injured sightseers.
Sheila Simpson was strolling on the dock with her husband when rescue boats roared up carrying people from the whale watching vessel.
"One didn't make it," said Simpson about a man whose body was covered by a blanket.
Ms. Simpson, who was in Tofino visiting a friend at the local hospital, said she tried to comfort some of the survivors as they stood on the dock awaiting transport to hospital or to their hotels.
"They were in absolute shock," said Simpson. "You could see it in their eyes."
Mr. Campbell said the First Nation was holding a meeting to discuss launching further rescue operations in the morning.
With files from Globe Staff and The Canadian Press
Editor's note: An earlier digital version of this story incorrectly stated the scene as Plover Point. This digital version has been corrected.
Mark Hume