Rescue officials suspend search for six after charter boat sinks off B.C.

Rescue officials have suspended their search for six people who were believed to be missing in the Strait of Georgia in waters near Vancouver after a charter boat sank on Sunday.

A spokesperson for the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria says the search operation was suspended at 9:45 p.m. last night and the response has been transferred to the RCMP.

Capt. Pedram Moyheddin, a spokesperson for the Canadian Armed Forces, says four people were rescued on Sunday after reports that several people were in the water without flotation devices.

RCMP said last night that the vessel began taking on water near Roberts Bank around 11:45 a.m. and the incident was called in by another civilian vessel.

The search involved agencies including the RCMP, the air force, coast guard, Marine Search and Rescue, and BC Ferries.

Police say the cause of the sinking is not known and it’s under investigation.