Elderly American, Canadian woman and British man dead as catamaran pleasure cruise flips over and sinks off Costa Rica

• Boat carrying more than 100 passengers sank off Punta Leona beach
• The county's public security ministry said cause of crash is not known
• National Meteorological Institute says country has experienced high winds
• Survivors described how they were left floating in the ocean in lifejackets
• One said that the boat flipped after it began taking on water in heavy seas

By Reuters Reporter and Wills Robinson for MailOnline

Published: 00:04 EST, 9 January 2015 | Updated: 00:15 EST, 9 January 2015

Three people including an elderly American and Canadian have died after a tourist catamaran carrying around 100 passengers sank off Costa Rica's Pacific Coast on Thursday morning.

The catamaran carrying 98 passengers and 10 crew members sank off the Punta Leona beach resort after emitting a distress signal, public security ministry spokesman Jesus Urena said. The cause of the accident is not yet known.

Costa Rica has been experiencing exceptionally strong winds this week, according to the National Meteorological Institute.

Tragedy: Tourists who survived a shipwreck off the coast of Costa Rica, are received by relatives in Herradura beach, Puntarenas. Three people including an elderly American and Canadian woman died

Distraught: A tourist who was on the cruise when the boat began to sink cries as she holds a cup

Safe: Passengers from the downed boat gather as they reach the shore. The vessel was carrying more than 100 people at the time

On land: A group of tourists walk from rescue boats before being moved by authorities to their hotels

Costa Rican Vice President Ana Helena Chacon identified the dead as a 68-year-old woman from the United States, a Canadian woman aged 70 and an 80-year-old British man.

Four passengers who had been missing were found and the other 106 people on the boat, survived and were in good health, Chacon added.

According to the public security ministry, 57 passengers were rescued and taken to the beach town of Herradura while 40 others went to the port town of Caldera.

Survivors said they were handed lifejackets by staff shortly before the boat sank.

One told the BBC: 'We were floating in the ocean. Many people were crying, screaming, asking for help,' an unidentified woman told local television.

Todd Olson, a tourist from Kansas, told the station: 'The captain started to turn the wheel to the left. There were pretty heavy seas and we started to take water on, apparently on the right side.

'Within a minute it was flipped. Very fast, shocking.'

Some 2.4 million foreign tourists - most of them from the US - visited the country in 2013, according to Costa Rica's Tourism Board and it is deemed as one of the safest destinations for tourists in Latin America.

Concerned: Tourists stand in groups at the Coast Guard station in Caldera, Puntarenas

Transport: A man wearing his swimming trunks is led to the bus taking passengers back to their accommodation

Reaction: One of the survivors speaks to the waiting media as she prepares to board a bus to her hotel

Guiding: A woman holds another survivor's hand as she steps onto the bus. Authorities are still unsure as to what caused the deadly accident

Emergency response: Costa Rican police and paramedics await the arrival of tourists who were rescued

Support: A woman carrying a water bottle is helped onto the waiting vehicle by police

Devastated: One of the passenger puts her head in her heads as she waits to go back to hotel

A British Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: 'We are aware of an incident on a boat off the coast of Costa Rica involving British nationals.

'We are in close contact with the local authorities and are providing consular assistance.'

Firefighters Corps director Hector Chavez said initial reports of an explosion and fire were mistaken.

Private boats in the area took in passengers until rescuers arrived.

Tour operator Pura Vida Princess reported the 100ft catamaran left Marina Los Suenos. They were going on a day trip to the popular Tortuga (Turtle) Island.

The public security ministry posted news of the deaths on Twitter.

Vice President Ana Helena Chacon said at a news conference: 'We want to extend our condolences to the victims' families,' Ms Chacon said.

According to the Pura Vida Princess website, the Tortuga Island day trip costs 125 US dollars (£83) and includes meals, a DJ, snorkelling and open bar.