Government promises resources in search for Manitoba sailor
OTTAWA — The Canadian government says it will use all available resources to find a master sailor from Manitoba who is believed to have accidentally fallen overboard while on the HMCS Winnipeg.
Duane Earle of Winnipeg vanished while the ship was west of San Francisco, said a news release from the military.
It was returning to Esquimalt, B.C., after being deployed to the Asia-Pacific region. The ship turned back along its route to search once Earle was identified as missing on Monday.
Earle’s family has been notified, the Canadian Armed Forces said.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in California, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Coast Guard are helping in the search.
On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said their thoughts are with the man’s family.
“To master sailor Earle’s family and loved ones, we are keeping you in our thoughts during this incredibly difficult time,” Trudeau said during a news conference.
“And to everyone aboard HMCS Winnipeg, we are standing with you. I know this has already been a very challenging year for those serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.”
Sajjan said in a tweet that “the entire defence team will be there for his family during this challenging time.”
“We are dedicating all available resources to search for Master Sailor Duane Earle in the hopes of bringing him home,” Sajjan said.
Earle is a 47-year-old boatswain, who is responsible for a ship’s rigging and equipment, and joined the Canadian Forces in June 1990 as a member of the Naval Reserve at HMCS Chippawa in Winnipeg.
Capt. Jenn Jackson, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Forces, said in an email that Earle also served on several different ships and was on multiple deployments, including Operation Podium, which was part of the security for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.