UPDATE 2:36 a.m. ET Monday: VANCOUVER, British Columbia (TheBlaze/AP) — Lt. Commander Desmond James of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said the agency's search has concluded with five people dead, 21 rescued and one person missing.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will take over the search for the person who remains missing after a whale watching boat with 27 people on board sank off Vancouver Island.

Original story below

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Canadian authorities say there have been multiple fatalities after a whale watching boat with 27 people on board sank off Vancouver Island.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre confirmed that the vessel made a mayday call shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday near Tofino, British Columbia.

Whale watching boat capsizes off Tofino WATCH: https://t.co/UqxyFIt5pM@chek_news

— Monica Martinez (@MonicaCHEK) October 26, 2015

Brandon Hilbert from Tofino Water Taxi says local companies were helping with the rescue effort.

The B.C. Coroner's Service says more than one person died. The exact number was not immediately known.

—

Follow Dave Urbanski (@DaveVUrbanski) on Twitter