Tugboat sinking claims lives of two men

By Brian Scott

FOR THE SOU’WESTER

People in communities along the Kittiwake coast of Newfoundland and Labrador and in the rest of the province awoke last Friday to news two men were lost to the sea the night before.

Thirty-two-year-old Christopher Wade Oram of Badger’s Quay and 69-year-old Lawrence Clifford Parsons of Lumsden died Thursday evening, Jan. 31, sometime after the tugboat they were operating, Check-Mate III, sank approximately eight miles (12.8 kilometres) north of Baccalieu Island, near the entrance of Trinity Bay.

News of the tragedy spread throughout communities along the coast early Friday morning, leaving some people in the community of New-Wes-Valley in a “sombre mood,” as if they had lost a close friend or loved one, according to the town’s mayor Grant Burry.

“It’s a small, close-knit community, and when someone dies tragically like that, it’s almost like a member of your own family,” he said. “You can feel the quietness in the community.”

Mayor Burry said he knew both men. He described Parsons as a “very nice quite gentleman, very knowledgeable, and easy going — just an all round good individual who never had a bad word to say about anyone.”

Oram, he said, was “a quiet, nice guy” with a young family.

He added friends and relatives of he victims’ family had visited the grieving family members, arriving with food, trying to comfort and console them the same as they would their own family.

“I know of several people this morning who went right to (Mr. Oram’s) family, and sat down with them to try to comfort them the best they could,” he said.

“In a small place like this where everybody knows everybody ... it’s devastating.”

A spokesperson with the Canadian Coast Guard in St. John’s said last Friday morning, the coast guard picked up a “very broken mayday” at approximately 9:45 p.m. Thursday, indicating the Check-Mate III had been taking on water and the two people on board were preparing to abandon the vessel.

The George R. Pearkes, a coast guard ship 21 miles (33.8 kilometres) away, a Cormorant search and rescue helicopter from Gander, a Hercules helicopter from Greenwood, N.S., and a coast guard auxiliary vessel were all dispatched to the rescue.

“The Cormorant was first to arrive on the scene about one hour and 40 minutes after the call,” said Kevin Barnes, a maritime search and rescue co-ordinator with the coast guard.

“Shortly thereafter, the George R. Pearkes arrived.”

According to Barnes, a life raft was located and the two men were spotted in the water nearby in survival suits. At that time, both men appeared to be responsive.

“It seems that whatever happened, happened fairly quickly,” he added.

A rescue craft was then launched from the George R. Pearkes that recovered both men from the water.

“At that time, (the two men) were not responsive,” said Barnes. “They were both immediately taken aboard and transported to the George R. Pearkes, where they tried to resuscitate these people with the assistance of two search and rescue technicians from the search and rescue helicopter.

“This continued for a considerable amount of time, but eventually they were both confirmed deceased.”

The bodies of the two men were then transported aboard the coast guard vessel, which eventually arrived in St. Johns at approximately 7:40 a.m.

The men had been ferrying the vessel from Wesleyville to St. John’s.

According to Sgt. Rick Boland of the RCMP detachment in Harbour Grace, an investigation into the sinking is ongoing and he speculated it would be take a few weeks.

However, he acknowledged, due to the little information relayed in the distress call, it may be difficult to pinpoint what caused the vessel to sink.



(Brian Scott is a journalist with Transcontinental Media’s Beacon newspaper and a contributor to the Sou’Wester.)