The Richmond, Canada, rugby community is in mourning after the Tauranga boating accident on Monday claimed the life of retired international rugby referee and former Vancouver Police Department detective Richard Evans.

Known to friends as Rick, Evans was on a two-week vacation with his wife Joan visiting her family when he died in a Tauranga harbour collision with a channel marker.

A Port of Tauranga pilot boat swimmer searches for survivors of the crash between a powerboat and a harbour channel marker. The yacht, Windrose, is tethered to the capsized power boat.

The 63-year-old was in a five-metre runabout piloted by Keith Longley when it struck a red marker buoy. Keith survived the crash – he suffered serious facial injuries, but is in a stable condition and Richard was pulled from the capsized boat by a Port of Tauranga pilot boat worker who dove in to attempt a rescue.

'I'm shocked,” says one neighbour at Richard's condo complex in Richmond.

'They are the nicest couple.”

Richard's long-time friend Alan Brown told The Richmond Review Tuesday afternoon that Richard was a prominent rugby player during his younger days, and later in life was an international-calibre rugby referee who also refereed local high school matches.

Richard Evans.

'He was very outgoing, very talkative,” says Alan, 'he was the life and soul of the party.”

Richard enjoyed giving back to the community whenever he was in town, and though he'd been travelling quite a bit over the last couple of years, when his phone rang, he was ready and willing to assist.

'At high school rugby, if he called a penalty, he would explain to the kid why there was a penalty.

'Not a lot of referees do that,” says Alan, who received Monday's news via an email from Richard's wife Joan.

'It's a big loss for the community,” Alan says of Richard, who was a long-time supporter of the Richmond Rugby Club and has lived in Richmond for at least three decades.

Richard was also called upon to referee tournaments in Hong Kong.

Born in North Wales, Richard was formerly a London Metropolitan police officer who joined the Vancouver Police Department shortly after moving to Canada.

He has two adult sons, Gary and Jody.

Vancouver Police Department Inspector Ed Eviston speaks fondly of Richard.

'I had the pleasure of knowing Rick as a fellow police officer, sportsman and friend,” says Ed.

'Rick was an unforgettable person renowned for his sense of humour, ready smile and welcoming manner which engendered the respect and admiration of the many people locally and internationally who had the luck to make his acquaintance.

'Rick will be terribly missed by all who experienced the benefit of his company.”

Richard had been planning a trip to attend the World Police and Fire Games in Belfast in 2013.

Alan says 'Richard was an avid cyclist who enjoyed exercising at Watermania, not far from his home.”

He served as president of their building's strata council a few years ago.

According to a posting at www.bcrugby.com, Dave Pue, head of BC Rugby's Referees Society said:

'Richard was an integral member of the Vancouver refereeing community in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

He was one of the top referees of his era and renowned for his management of the game as a ‘player's referee'.

After leaving refereeing he stepped into the role of team manager for many touring sides.”

Richard's policing career spanned more than two decades.