Investigation underway after on-duty lighthouse keeper dies alone, west of Prince Rupert, B.C.

[daftandbarmy]

So sad...


The Canadian Coast Guard and a federal workers' agency are investigating after an on-duty lighthouse keeper died in April at a station just off the coast of northwestern B.C., about 40 kilometres west of Prince Rupert.

The Triple Island Lighthouse station is supposed to be staffed by a principal and assistant lightkeeper at all times, but due to a shift change, the coast guard says the man was alone when he died.

The lighthouse is located on the northwesterly rock of a group of three islets known as the Triple Islands and was built in 1920 to guide marine traffic travelling north up B.C.'s coast to Alaska, as well as for deepsea ships navigating to and from Prince Rupert.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/on-duty-lighthouse-keeper-death-1.7534077

 

[Blackadder1916]

Lighthouses in Canada

Lighthouses in Canada

www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Out of more than 750 lighthouses and long range lights . . .

The Government of Canada continues to operate 51 staffed lighthouses across the country, including:

• 1 in New Brunswick
• 27 in British Columbia
• 23 in Newfoundland and Labrador

The government manages and maintains most of these lighthouses for operational purposes. One exception is Machias Seal Island in the Gulf of Maine, where lightkeepers continue to staff the lighthouse for sovereignty reasons.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Sad, but it used to be somewhat common. Many of the lightkeepers enjoy the solitude.