B.C. lighthouse keeper dies alone on the job, investigation underway

The Triple Island Lighthouse, located off the coast of northwestern B.C., is pictured. (Courtesy: Kraig Anderson, lighthousefriends.com/Parks Canada)

A federal investigation is underway after an on-duty lighthouse keeper died alone off the northwest coast of British Columbia last month.

Typically, lightstations are staffed by two keepers, but the individual was by themself at the time due to a shift change, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.

On April 2, the lightkeeper did not respond to repeated attempts from the coast guard to contact them, so it sent a helicopter to perform a wellness check. The pilot found the worker unresponsive and called 911.

Emergency Health Services travelled to the Triple Island Lighthouse west of Prince Rupert and pronounced the keeper dead.

The coast guard and Employment and Social Development Canada are investigating the incident, and the CCG says the RCMP were involved but have completed their investigation.

The coast guard said it would not disclose how the lighthouse keeper died out of respect for their loved ones.

When asked how long the individual was alone on the island, it declined to comment as the investigation is ongoing.

“The Canadian Coast Guard expresses sincere condolences to the individual’s family, friends and fellow CCG employees,” the agency wrote in a statement to CTV News. “We will continue to support our employees, as well as the family, during this very difficult time.”

The lighthouse is built on a rock within a group of small islets known as the Triple Islands roughly 40 kilometres west of Prince Rupert. The station was built in 1920 to guide ships travelling through Brown Passage to Alaska and deep-sea ships travelling to and from Prince Rupert, following the wreck of the S.S. Prince Albert in 1914.

There are 51 staffed lighthouses in Canada, 27 of which are in B.C.