T
The Fish Assassin
Guest
From T/C
A land and water search has been called off for a 58-year-old oyster fisherman who went missing after the boat he was working on sank off Quadra Island.
Capt. David Burneau of the Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre said the 58-year-old man and his 38-year-old co-worker were transporting geoducks from Cortez Island to Heriot Bay on Quadra Island when the 35-foot aluminum boat sank in rough waters at about noon Tuesday.
Burneau said the men had one life-jacket between them, and after the boat went down they became separated in three- to four-metre waves. The 38-year-old survivor holding the floater jacket made it to a small island just east of Heriot Bay sometime during the night.
The rescue centre were notified the men were overdue at about 6 p.m., at which time a search involving aircraft from CFB Comox, coast guard vessels and a Cormorant helicopter from Prince Rupert began.
“The Buffalo aircraft was dropping flares to light up the area for the coast guard,” Burneau said.
A passing vessel rescued the 38-year-old man from a beach at about 8 a.m. yesterday. He was treated for mild hypothermia. He said the boat sank, but Burneau had not received any report as to the cause.
Low cloud hampered the air search in the early morning yesterday, but conditions improved as the day wore on. As many as 20 ships, including coast guard and private boats, searched the area until about 4 p.m.
Burneau said the case has been turned over to the RCMP detachment on Quadra Island as a missing person file.
Cpl. Craig Peterson at the Quadra Island RCMP detachment said that it appeared that weather was a major contributing factor in the sinking.
Both men were residents of Quadra Island.
My heart goes out to the families.
Take only what you need.
A land and water search has been called off for a 58-year-old oyster fisherman who went missing after the boat he was working on sank off Quadra Island.
Capt. David Burneau of the Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre said the 58-year-old man and his 38-year-old co-worker were transporting geoducks from Cortez Island to Heriot Bay on Quadra Island when the 35-foot aluminum boat sank in rough waters at about noon Tuesday.
Burneau said the men had one life-jacket between them, and after the boat went down they became separated in three- to four-metre waves. The 38-year-old survivor holding the floater jacket made it to a small island just east of Heriot Bay sometime during the night.
The rescue centre were notified the men were overdue at about 6 p.m., at which time a search involving aircraft from CFB Comox, coast guard vessels and a Cormorant helicopter from Prince Rupert began.
“The Buffalo aircraft was dropping flares to light up the area for the coast guard,” Burneau said.
A passing vessel rescued the 38-year-old man from a beach at about 8 a.m. yesterday. He was treated for mild hypothermia. He said the boat sank, but Burneau had not received any report as to the cause.
Low cloud hampered the air search in the early morning yesterday, but conditions improved as the day wore on. As many as 20 ships, including coast guard and private boats, searched the area until about 4 p.m.
Burneau said the case has been turned over to the RCMP detachment on Quadra Island as a missing person file.
Cpl. Craig Peterson at the Quadra Island RCMP detachment said that it appeared that weather was a major contributing factor in the sinking.
Both men were residents of Quadra Island.
My heart goes out to the families.
Take only what you need.
