Because officials do not yet know the cause of death of a Canadian First Nations chief at the scene of a swamped canoe off Dungeness Spit on Wednesday, they don’t know if a lifejacket could have saved him.
“At this point, it is speculation that it would have done any good,” said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Andre Billeaudeaux, a spokesman for the command in Seattle.
“Of course, you recommend it.”
Jerry Jack, 68, of Gold River, British Columbia, was among six pullers in the Makah tribal canoe Hummingbird west of the spit Wednesday afternoon as part of the 2006 Inter-Tribal Canoe Journey.
High seas and winds conspired to dump the canoeists into the 54-degree water.
Jack, hereditary chief of the Mowachaht/Muchalat tribe, was declared dead at the scene.
Three others were transported to Olympic Medical Center for treatment of hypothermia. The other two on board were able to walk away after being rescued by the Coast Guard and Clallam County sheriff’s personnel.
Autopsy scheduled
Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Deborah Kelly, who is also the county coroner, said an autopsy was to be performed Thursday afternoon by pathologist Daniel Selove.
No results of the autopsy were available Thursday night.
Kelly is tasked with determining the cause of Jack’s death, but she said she will not investigate the circumstances that led to it.
That is the responsibility of the Coast Guard and the Sheriff’s Department, which were at the scene following Wednesday’s late-afternoon capsizing.
A Coast Guard helicopter and swift boat from Port Angeles Group/Air Station responded, as did sheriff’s deputies and the county search and rescue team.
Billeaudeaux, in Seattle, said there was nothing new to report Thursday.
Undersheriff Rich Sill, in Port Angeles, said the department’s marine unit will interview survivors as part of its investigation.
“Obviously the seas were high, but I think [investigators] will try to determine what exactly caused the rollover of the boat,” Sill said.
