Support offered to families of lost fishermen
As the grieving continues following a fishing tragedy in southwestern Nova Scotia, attention is focused on providing emotional and financial support to families of the crew members lost and missing from the ill-fated Chief William Saulis scallop dragger.
“As our community continues to grieve, it is most important that the families and friends of those lost know we are here to support them in whatever way they need – physically, mentally, spiritually,” said Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood on Thursday.
“We are a resilient community but now is not the time to talk about bouncing back,” she said. “Now is the time to grieve. To cry. Be angry. To feel.”
There is much heartache in southwestern Nova Scotia after the sea claimed the scallop dragger as it was headed back to port on Tuesday. Onboard was its six-member crew: Capt. Charles Roberts and crew members Aaron Cogswell, Michael Drake, Daniel Forbes, Geno Francis and Leonard Gabriel.
An emergency beacon was activated on the vessel prior to 6 a.m. Later, with no sign of the boat or the crew, debris began washing up on shore. The body of one of the missing fishermen was located that evening.
The following day, on Wednesday, there was still no sign of the remaining crew members. After 36 hours of searching the matter was turned over to the RCMP as a missing persons case. Shoreline searches were still planned, although the weather interfered with that.
“This morning, ground and water searching (was) suspended for Dec. 17 due to the impeding storm forecasted,” said RCMP Sgt. Andrew Joyce on Thursday. He said the decision would be revisited Friday morning.
Most of the vessel's crew was from Yarmouth, although this tragedy extends to Newfoundland where one fisherman was from.
With families at the forefront during this time of grief, Mayor Mood reached out to Bertha Brannen, a grief recovery specialist in Yamouth, who will work with families of those lost. She will begin this work on Saturday and Monday at the Rodd Grand Hotel in a private setting.
“To the family members, please feel free to reach out to Bertha at 902-740-2146 and she will chat with you about an appointment and will also leave you with her book Pathway Through Loss,” said Mood. “This won't ‘fix,' but we hope it will be helpful to you. Your community loves you and are here for you.”
In the new year, Brannen will offer a community session where people can learn more about the grieving process.
In an interview, Brannen admitted that people are numb right now, and that does make it difficult for people to absorb the message when it comes to grief support.
“But one thing that I do try to say to people is whatever you're feeling is perfectly normal. You need to feel what you're feeling,” she said, adding your body reacts to grief as well. “You have to let it hit you. You can't just pretend that you're strong. It's not the time to be strong, it's not the time to grieve alone.”
On Thursday, the chief and council of the Acadia First Nation expressed condolences to everyone affected by this fishing tragedy. Acadia First Nation is mourning the loss of one of their own.
Eugene ‘ Geno' Francis was a member of Acadia First Nation and an important part of the community, the band says. He lived on Acadia's Yarmouth reserve, but grew up in Milton, Queens County, where his parents and son still reside.
“We were devastated to hear that Geno was among those on board and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all the families, both Indigenous and non-indigenous, who are impacted by this tragic event,” said Chief Deborah Robinson.
Another person on the scallop dragger held connections to the Acadia First Nation too. Captain Charles Roberts had fished with Acadia First Nation for many years. The band described him as “a dear friend of the community.”
“These six men held important roles in the lives of those near and dear to them,” Chief Robinson said.
Beyond the families of the crew, communities in southwestern Nova Scotia are made up of thousands of fishing families. This tragedy truly hits home for everyone.
The Full Bay Scallop Association, and also Yarmouth Sea Products – which is a member of the association and the owner of the scallop dragger – say they know how difficult and painful a situation this is for everyone, especially coming in a year where there has already been so much stress and other terrible events.
“Commercial fishing is the backbone of the rural economy in Nova Scotia and even during this pandemic it is important that we find ways to support each other through these difficult times. We encourage everyone to reach out to each other and offer support,” the association said in a Dec. 17 media release.
The association says it has started to collect funds internally that will be provided to the families when a mechanism to do so is made available. Early on, member companies had already committed to donate over $60,000 with more donations expected. Donations have come from companies, individuals and vessels.