2 men dead after boating incident off B.C. coast, RCMP say

British Columbia RCMP say two men are dead after a boating incident off the west coast of Haida Gwaii.

The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria says it received a request tohelp search for a fishing boat that failed to return to the village of Skidegate.

According to the centre,it sent the Canadian Coast Guard to join a large community search that was already underway.

The centre says that around 1 p.m. Sunday, the missing fishermen were found by the search team and their bodies were recovered by the coast guard.

RCMP Cpl. Madonna Saunderson says in an email that the B.C. Coroners Service has since taken over the investigation. It is unclear exactly how the two men died.

Skidegate Health Centre said in a Facebook post on Monday that it was hosting a sacred fire on the beach to honour the men.

"We would like to reach out and express condolences to the families and community," the health centre said in the post. "During these difficult times, we are at a loss for words and walk with heavy hearts."