The parents of an Australian man killed in a whale-watching boat accident off Vancouver Island last month will return to Canada to collect their son and bring him back home.
The body of Sydney electrician Raveshan Pillay was found by surfers on a beach on nearby of Vargas Island on Wednesday night, more than three weeks after a rogue wave capsized the boat carrying 27 people.
Five Britons, including Mr Pillay's girlfriend's father Nigel Hooker were also killed in the tragedy.
After an exhaustive land and aerial search, Canadian authorities contacted Raveshan's distraught parents Judy and Mike Pillay in Sydney early Friday morning, informing them their son's body had been found.
"It was a call we knew we would have to take at some stage but it is still hard to accept," said Judy.
"We have lost our angel but are comforted by the fact that Raveshan has been found.
"Now we have the chance to bring him home."
After news of the incident broke, the Pillays flew to Vancouver Island to join the search party and stayed in the nearby town of Tofino, where they were welcomed by the locals who held daily prayers and vigils.
"I want to thank the Canadian authorities, who despite being hampered by bad weather, never gave up," Mike said.
"We also are extremely grateful to the people of Tofino and the surrounding communities. They gave us immense strength."
The Pillays penned a letter of thanks to Tofino mayor Josie Osborne, saying they had only been met with "kindness after kindness".
"Every shop we walked into was welcoming, every person we spoke with so kind," said the letter published in the local newspaper.
"Nobody is to blame. We lost our son, but we only lost his physical body. His spirit is here."
The family said Raveshan's ashes would be scattered across South Africa, the country of his birth, Australia and Canada.
"We have experienced so much love and support across all three countries. We want to say thank you for being with us during this difficult time," added Mike.
Mr Pillay, 27, from Barden Ridge, was holidaying with his girlfriend Danielle and her family at the time of the incident.
Officials say the passengers were sightseeing on one side of the upper deck when a wave hit from the opposite side, flipping the boat, tossing 27 tourists and crew into the water.
The Coroners Service, Transportation Safety Board and Royal Canadian Mounted Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the incident, reviewing the weather, wreckage and maintenance history of the 20-metre boat.
Life jackets were not required on the vessel and it appeared the tourists were not wearing them at the time, an initial coroner's investigation found.
A senior employee of Jamie's Whaling Station, the company operating the boat, said the vessel sank so quickly the crew didn't have time to issue a mayday call.
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