Monday marked day four of a desperate search for three First Nations fishermen who remain missing after their boat overturned off the coast of Tofino.
Family and friends of the men, who are members of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, have been anxiously awaiting any news since their boat went down without a mayday call early Friday.
Five people were on board the six-metre tin boat when it went down. One of the men was rescued from the water and another swam to shore, but three remain missing.
"In any kind of circumstance such as this the moods are going to be up and down and we just have to be there to support them," said Elmer Frank, emergency coordinator for the First Nation.
The official search for the missing men was scaled back over the weekend, but dozens of volunteers and a fleet made up of private vessels are keeping up the effort.
"We're covering as much area as we can while the weather's on our side and the tides are working with us now," Frank said.
Friends say that one of the missing men was previously recognized for his efforts to help find survivors of the fatal Leviathan II capsizing in October 2015.
"There was some recognition and he was a well community-oriented gentleman," said Frank. "All we can do is just keep praying and we still have lots of hope."
The incident has now been handed over to the RCMP as a missing persons investigation and on Monday, divers from the RCMP marine section were searching below the waves for any signs of the three men.
