During a shift change in April, an on-duty lighthouse keeper died alone at the Triple Island Light Station located on isolated, remote islets about 40 kilometres west of Prince Rupert.
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) reported that its helicopter, which was deployed nearby, conducted a wellness check on the lightkeeper and found him unresponsive on April 2. While Emergency Health Services confirmed the worker’s death, the cause remains unverified.
The RCMP conducted an initial investigation before handing over the case to Employment and Social Development Canada and the CCG, who are now actively investigating the incident.
According to the Coast Guard, most staffed light stations in British Columbia are operated by a principal lightkeeper and an assistant. Triple Island Lightstation was staffed accordingly, but only one lightkeeper was on-site at the time of the incident "due to a shift change." While there are typically two lightkeepers stationed there at all times, the CCG hasn’t communicated why the lighthouse keeper was alone at his time of death.
“The Canadian Coast Guard expresses sincere condolences to the individual’s family, friends and fellow CCG employees,” the coast guard told simplymastery.
Fishermen raise concerns over lighthouse de-staffing
With the world’s longest coastline and more lakes than any country, Canada is home to more than 750 lighthouses and long-range navigational lights. Of these, the Government of Canada currently has just 51 staffed lighthouses, including approximately 25 in B.C.
The DFO states that over the years, the number of staffed lighthouses has declined due to high maintenance costs, a shift toward automation, and the introduction of modern navigational aids. In 2024, the Canadian Coast Guard removed crews from two additional lighthouses in B.C., citing “safety concerns,” and transitioned them to fully automated systems.
Des Nobels has spent decades in the fishing industry on the north coast of B.C. and is now retired. As a long-time advocate, he was active in the Northern Gillnetters’ Association in the 1980s and was a former president of Local 37 of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union (UFAWU).
“Because of this death, there is concern amongst commercial fishermen that this light may be de-staffed," said Nobels. "It’s one of the few lights that’s still left that is staffed on the North Coast, and it’s extremely important in terms of the marine use in this area. You have a very significant fishery that still takes place here.”
He noted that Triple Island Light, built in 1920, has long served as a vital source of weather information for those navigating the Hecate Strait and Northern Chatham Sound. The region also sees significant cargo and passenger traffic, with marine pilots routinely embarking and disembarking from vessels just west of Triple Island operations that rely heavily on the presence of the lighthouse.
“So there’s a safety issue with regards to that particular piece," Nobels said. "Also, like I said, the concerns have been raised with me by other fishermen that this light may be de-staffed, and in doing so, would create what many believe would be a serious issue with regards to safety in northern waters.
“We’ve had most of the lights on this coast de-staffed and automated, and it’s created quite an issue for a lot of mariners, because most of the time, many of these lights and these stations aren’t reporting their weathers, aren’t providing the critical information mariners need to to operate on the waters around us.”
He said mariners often strongly prefer having humans on-site to provide real-time information, such as weather updates and vessel tracking, rather than relying solely on machines. When automated systems fail or stop reporting accurately, a human presence allows immediate troubleshooting and restoration.
Nobels, who sailed past Triple Island over three days in April while the lighthouse was unstaffed, noted that no reports were coming from the station during that time, which raised serious concerns for him.
After the recent incident, he wonders whether the Coast Guard will deem the lighthouse unsafe for staffing.
Due to Nobles’s long-standing involvement in the commercial fishing industry on the B.C. coast, he received several calls in April from fishermen and union members worried about overall reduced lighthouse staffing and the ongoing shift toward full automation.
On the other hand, the CCG states that all of its navigational aids, including those at light stations, have been automated for many years.
“Beginning in the 1980s, the majority of lights in lightstations were automated and replaced by low-maintenance, modern aids to navigation systems that provided enhanced services to mariners,” said the Canadian Coast Guard.
