'There are inherent risks': B.C. coroners investigating second death at Tofino-area beaches in 2023

Beaches on the west coast of Vancouver Island, near Tofino and Ucluelet, B.C. (iStock)

The BC Coroners Service is investigating the second death of 2023 in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on western Vancouver Island.

While few details were available Friday, Parks Canada confirmed that its staff were notified of an unconscious man at Florencia Bay, southeast of Tofino, on Sept. 16.

Police, paramedics, Parks Canada employees and volunteers with West Coast Inland Search and Rescue responded to the beach, where the man was later pronounced dead, the agency said.

A spokesperson for the provincial coroner's office says it is still investigating the man's death, but declined to provide details about his identity or the circumstances in which he was discovered.

A Parks Canada spokesperson said the agency is "deeply saddened by this tragedy" and urged Pacific Rim Park Reserve visitors to familiarize themselves with the hazards of the ocean environment.

"Our hearts and thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim, and with those who responded to the incident," a statement from Parks Canada said.

"We are committed to providing visitors with meaningful, safe and enjoyable experiences as well as with the information they need to make informed decisions," the statement said.

"There are inherent risks involved in coastal activities."

The death was the second fatality inside the park in as many months after a man died at Long Beach, a popular surfing and recreation spot approximately five kilometres up the coastline, on Aug. 9.

The coroner's office said that death is also still under investigation, and details are not being released publicly.

Parks Canada estimates approximately one million people visit the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve annually.

Several petitions have been circulated over the years, calling on successive federal environment ministers to reinstate a lifeguard program that served Pacific Rim park users for decades before it was cancelled by the federal government in 2012.