UPDATED: Body of man, 63, recovered from Sechelt Inlet

Sunshine Coast RCMP have reached the next of kin of a man whose body was recovered from the waters of Sechelt Inlet on Monday, Feb. 8.

The body of Peter William Koch, 63, was located by a Cormorant search and rescue helicopter at about 3 p.m. on the east side of the inlet near Porpoise Bay Provincial Park.

The RCMP detachment received a call at 10:17 a.m. after someone found a capsized dinghy in Sechelt Inlet, Const. Karen Whitby told Coast Reporter.

Koch, who lived on board a vessel at anchor near the Government Wharf in Sechelt, was identified as missing.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre dispatched the Cormorant helicopter from 442 Squadron in Comox and Royal Canadian Marine-Search and Rescue Station 12 crew assisted in the search operation on the water while Sunshine Coast ground SAR assisted in a shoreline search at the south end of the inlet, RCMP said in a news release.

Surveillance footage from a local business identifying the man was also released to the public, said Whitby, and the man was located “in exactly what he was wearing in the surveillance video.” The man was not wearing a life jacket or personal flotation device (PFD).

After RCM-SAR 12 recovered the body, police sought assistance from the public in reaching next of kin and they were located the next day.

“The RCMP would like to thank the public for their assistance and all the kind words forwarded in memory of the victim,” said a statement from the RCMP detachment.

On Feb. 10, RCM-SAR 12 crewmembers circulated a letter to all vessels in the area offering their condolences.

“We wanted to reach out. The Porpoise Bay community of boaters were pretty shaken up,” Coxwain Tonya Ste. Marie told Coast Reporter.

The incident has also jumpstarted efforts by the organization to acquire life jackets, PFDs and whistles to distribute to those without access.

“The next step is to reach out to the community to see if anybody is willing to donate,” Ste. Marie said.