Canada

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

No bodies in capsized fishing boat

By: Michael Tutton

Posted: 02/24/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Devaan Ingraham / The Canadian Press Relatives of missing fishermen show their sorrow. (CP)

WOODS HARBOUR, N.S. -- The father of one of five young Nova Scotia fishermen lost at sea says word that divers found no sign of their bodies beneath a capsized vessel is hard to accept, yet it gives him a sense of closure.

"There's no need for any more search," said George Hopkins, whose 27-year-old son Joel Hopkins was among the missing.

Nearby, a dozen cars were parked and a steady stream of family friends came and went, offering condolences as they entered his brightly lit house.

"It wasn't the result we wanted," said Hopkins.

"But for me there's closure knowing the search is over and there's no hope now of anybody being alive."

RCMP said Saturday they've been told no bodies were found in a search of an overturned boat off southwest Nova Scotia by divers on a private fishing vessel.

The Mounties said the captain of the Slave Driver told the Canadian Coast Guard Vessel Sir William Alexander around 6 p.m. Saturday that divers had visually confirmed that there were no bodies in the Miss Ally.

Supt. Sylvie Bourassa-Muise said according to the information police received, the divers also found that no wheelhouse or sleeping quarters were attached to the vessel's hull.

For Hopkins, the details of the missing wheelhouse was decisive and crushing news. He said that no wheelhouse meant that the Miss Ally's life-raft was also torn away.

"With the wheelhouse gone, I think things happened so fast, they didn't have a chance to get in the life-raft. It would be false hope to continue," he said.

Searchers spotted the hull of the boat Saturday morning, about 239 kilometres southeast of Halifax and 46 kilometres northwest of the boat's last known position, RCMP said.

Bourassa-Muise said the HMCS Glace Bay was expected to arrive at the site of the Miss Ally sometime overnight Saturday and would conduct an assessment with a remotely operated vehicle on Sunday morning.

"That is simply done to confirm what the report was from the private fishing boat," said Bourassa-Muise from Woods Harbour, N.S., on Saturday evening. "That will conclude the efforts."

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 24, 2013 A6

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Canada

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.