What started out as a routine evening at a logging camp on Deserted Island progressed into a night of utter chaos, as a rescue went awry, leaving one man dead, three others injured and the Sechelt Indian Band in mourning.
Merrill Dixon, 51, first cousin to Sechelt Indian Band Chief Stan Dixon, was killed from blunt force to the head and neck, according to Sunshine Coast RCMP, when the 26-foot boat he was travelling in crashed into rocky shores five kilometres south of Deserted Bay on the evening of March 21. The three other men on board, Wayne Joe, his son Tyrone Joe and Danny Paul, along with Dixon, were trying to reach camp after responding to a call by Paul, who had become stranded by severe weather conditions while trying to mark a log. They were able to reach Paul, but he fell into the icy waters as they tried to get him on board.
Paul eventually made it onto the boat, but by that point he was in a near-hypothermic state. As the men hurried to get him back to camp, the treacherous weather conditions kept them from reaching their destination. The boat went completely off-course and smashed into the shore, killing Dixon immediately and seriously injuring Wayne Joe and Paul. Tyrone Joe suffered the least of the injuries. Several hours passed, as the men were stranded and in shock. Camp cook Audrey Joe Santiago started to worry when the men failed to arrive back at camp. She was able to make contact with logging company owner Aaron Joe who then called High Tide Water Taxi. Egmont's Greg Gray, an operator for the water taxi, set out from Earls Cove to search for the men. "It was darker than dark, and snowing. I've never seen a night like that," Gray said. During this time Tyrone was able to get a radio working to call Santiago back at camp. Communication in this area is often poor as cell phone and even satellite phone reception are unreliable. However, Santiago was able to broadcast a mayday that reached the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria.
An aircraft and helicopter were sent out from Comox and the Coast Guard sent out a boat from Powell River and a hovercraft from Richmond.
When Gray reached the scene of the accident, he found the men in the boat and made first contact with Tyrone. "He was clearly in shock, but was able to help me get Paul and Joe onto the boat," Gray said.
Gray, with the three injured men on board, made it back to the dock at Deserted Bay and was met by two men from Malibu Club. They had rushed from Princess Louisa Inlet with first aid equipment and immediately began attending to the injured men. The Coast Guard's hovercraft and helicopter arrived shortly after. Rescuers planned to put the injured men onto the helicopter, but were concerned about the severe weather. They decided to let the pilot go up alone to test the situation - it quickly became apparent he could not fly, and he landed the helicopter. They decided it would be best to transfer the injured men onto the hovercraft, which would take longer, but was far less of a risk. Three hours later the injured men arrived at Sea Island in Richmond and were taken to Vancouver General Hospital (VGH).
Transport Canada, Work-safe BC and the RCMP are currently investigating the accident. "On Monday we were out investigating and looking at the site where the boat struck. It will be a few weeks before we have a report," Transport Canada marine investigator Raymond Mathew said.
Wayne Joe and Paul are still at VGH in intensive care. Both are recovering from head injuries and Paul from a broken leg as well. Tyrone Joe, who suffered from gashes, was able to attend Merrill's funeral on Wednesday morning. Dixon says his cousin Merrill, "had a character that was second to none. His death is tragic and is a reminder of how quickly life can be taken."
Merrill's funeral, held at Our Lady of Lourdes church on Band land, brought an outpouring of support from the entire Sunshine Coast community. "It was an extraordinary funeral; the church was filled with people from all over. We love him very much," Dixon said.
