[UPDATE: 4:17 p.m. Jan 13, 2013]
RCMP have identified the missing fisherman as 20-year-old Michael Jeffrey Doucette from Wedgeport.
By Tina Comeau
THE VANGUARD
NovaNewsNow.com
A lobster fisherman from Wedgeport is believed to have fallen overboard and drowned.
LCdr Bruno Tremblay, a spokesperson for the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, said the other crew of the Row Row thought the fisherman was somewhere else on the boat and weren’t at first aware he was missing.
It had been about an hour since anyone had seen him when they reported him missing at 6:47 p.m. Saturday evening, Jan. 12.
The 15-hour search was centred in an area about 33 nautical miles south of Yarmouth.
The missing fisherman was not believed to be wearing any floatation device.
At the height of the search a Cormorant and Hercules were searching from the air while 20 vessels were on the water looking including the CCGS Spray and Earl Grey.
The Hercules used more than 100 flares to illuminate the search area through the night.
Despite excellent weather and conditions for the search, Tremblay said it challenging because the crew of the vessel could only speculate as to where the fisherman might have fallen into the water, given that no one saw the incident occur.
“It is with great sadness that the decision was made around 9 a.m. to stop the search,” said Tremblay, Sunday morning, Jan. 13. “The case will be passed to the RCMP as a missing person. All of our thoughts are with the family of the missing fisherman and his friends during this troubling time.”
