Canada whale-watching tragedy: British survivor saw father die before boyfriend slipped from her hands

Rav Pillay was on the boat with his girlfriend, Danielle Hooker, and her father and sister

Rav Pillay, 27, is still missing after Sunday's disaster. He was on the boat with his girlfriend and her family. (Facebook)

A British survivor of the whale-watching disaster in Canada watched her family being thrown from the boat as it capsized before her unconscious boyfriend slipped from her grasp.

Danielle Hooker’s father, Nigel, was one of the five British victims of the tragedy off Vancouver Island, and her boyfriend Rav Pillay is still missing.

Ms Hooker, 28, reportedly clung on to Mr Pillay, from Australia, in a desperate effort to keep him afloat before rescuers arrived but could not hold on.

Constable Jim Preston, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said police believe he was unconscious at the time.

“A group of survivors fought to keep him afloat,” he told The Times.

“They were holding on to him [until the] point they couldn't hold on to him any longer and he went under.

“They actually watched him disappear down below. They said he disappeared and then it was just dark.”

Searches continue for Mr Pillay but Constable Preston said that as much as he would like to believe he is alive, he “highly suspects that he is deceased” four days after the tragedy.

Relatives of the 27-year-old, who was born in South Africa but lived in Sydney, have put his photos on their social media profiles and written tributes.

Danielle Hooker tried to keep her unconscious boyfriend, Rav Pillay, afloat but he disappeared and is still missing (Facebook)

Ms Hooker’s family released a statement saying her 63-year-old father, from Southampton, saying they were in “complete shock and disbelief and struggling to come to terms” with his death.

His other daughter, Aimee, also survived the disaster after she was picked up by local fishermen.

Passengers were not wearing life jackets when the Leviathan II was struck by a wave and capsized off Vancouver Island on Sunday, sending 27 people into the water.

Marc Andre Poisson, director of marine investigations for Canada's Transportation Safety Board, said that the boat’s stability was affected by the passengers’ being crowded on its left side, allowing it to roll over when the wave hit from the right.

Three crew members and some of the survivors have been interviewed but the full investigation is expected to take months.

Nigel Hooker, 63, from Southampton, was on the boat with his two daughters and Mr Pillay (Facebook)

Five of the victims were British, including Katie Taylor, 29, and Jack Slater, 76, who lived in Canada.

Ms Taylor’s family described her as a “vibrant, outgoing and lovely young woman” who will be missed by all of her family and many friends.

David Thomas, 50, and his 18-year-old son Stephen, from Swindon, were also killed.

The Down’s Syndrome Association UK described Mr Thomas was a “huge supporter” of the organisation and “one of the driving forces behind the Swindon Down's Syndrome Group, where he was a trustee”, while colleagues at Microsoft also paid tribute.

Mr Thomas’ wife, Julie, was rescued and hospitalised with minor injuries.

His son, who had Down’s syndrome, “was a very talented young man and a gifted photographer,” the association said in a statement.

Michele Slater Brown, of Milton in Ontario, called her father, Mr Slater, “larger than life, a charmer, handsome, entrepreneur, engineer in the navy...and a lovely dad.”

The Leviathan II had reportedly been making the same whale-watching trip every day for 20 years without incident, and was being captained by a skipper with almost two decades of experience.

A senior employee of Jamie's Whaling Station, the company operating the boat, said the vessel sank so quickly the crew didn't have time to issue a mayday call.

Staff shot flares from the water which attracted the attention of local aboriginal fishermen who rushed to help rescue people.

Investigators will review the weather, wreckage and the maintenance history of the 65-foot boat and were working to recover its electronics.

Additional reporting by AP