The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Search continues for missing crew
Searchers were back on the Bay of Fundy Wednesday, looking for more missing crew members of the Chief William Saulis, which sank Tuesday morning in the Bay of Fundy.
The body of one crew member was recovered from the water Tuesday, and five others remain missing. Capt. Charles Roberts and crew members Aaron Cogswell, Michael Drake, Dan Forbes, Geno Francis and Leonard Gabriel had been on board the vessel when it ran into trouble in high seas.
The RCMP took control of the search, from the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Wednesday evening.
In a news release, the RCMP said a command centre has been set up at the United Baptist Church in Hillsburn. The RCMP is being supported by the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office, Nova Scotia Public Safety and Field Communications, Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Ground Search and Rescue teams from West Hants, Valley, Annapolis, Digby, Clare and Yarmouth.
The ground search zone spans a 55 kilometre stretch of shoreline from Delaps Cove to Margarestville, Annapolis County. Searchers continue to look for items from the Chief William Saulis, such as life jackets, survival kits, survival suits, emergency beacons and human remains, said the release.
Earlier in the day, a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre spokesman said searchers were scouring the shoreline.
"We haven't found any more debris that would lead us in a certain direction, so we're still searching the main area and retracking to make sure we cover every area that we can," JRCC spokesman Lt.-cmdr. Brian Owens said Wednesday afternoon.
A C-130 Hercules plane and Cormorant helicopter from 14 Wing Greenwood were involved in the search, along with the Canadian Coast Guard ships Sir William Alexander, Courtney Bay and M. Perley. An Aurora aircraft from Greenwood with a forward-looking infrared camera was also involved Tuesday night.
RCMP and ground search and rescue teams worked late into the night Tuesday and were back on scene at 7 a.m. Wednesday.
High seas like those on Tuesday make searching more difficult, Owens said.
“Because you have the white caps and other things, it's challenging from radar and visual (standpoints)," he said. “Things get blurred, and depending on what people are wearing and other debris in the water, it does get quite challenging.”
Ground search efforts are being focused during daylight hours due to dangerous conditions that occur at the shoreline in the overnight hours. Ice builds up along the shore with pounding surf and it becomes dangerous for searchers. If something washes up during the overnight hours, searchers will retrieve it when safe to do so, said the release from the RCMP.
Police are asking members of the public to stay away from the shoreline in this area while the search continues. Should a member of the public encounter any items along the shoreline, they are asked to contact the Annapolis County RCMP at 902-6654481.
The search started off Delaps Cove shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday when a position-indicating radio beacon activated. The device sends out a signal when it comes in contact with salt water.
No distress call was received from the vessel, a 50-foot scallop boat that fishes out of Digby.
The RCMP said they recognize "the devastating impact this has on the men's families and the entire community."