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Dad wants Miss Ally searched in recovery mission

Joel Hopkins is one of five fishermen that have been lost at sea since their boat capsized on Sunday.

Joel Hopkins is one of five fishermen that have been lost at sea since their boat capsized on Sunday.

Amy Woolvett
Published on February 20, 2013
Published on February 20, 2013
Amy Woolvett  RSS Feed
The Coastguard

By Amy Woolvett
THE COAST GUARD
NovaNewsNow.com

Father to one of the fishermen lost at sea described his son as a ladies man.

“He’s a good looking kid,” he said with a bit of a chuckle.  “And he would give you the shirt off his back.”

George Hopkins son, Joel Hopkins is only 27-years old and married with two children.

He always wanted to be a fisherman like his dad since he was a young child.

“Joel has been fishing since he was seven or eight years old,” said Hopkins.  “He always wanted to be off shore.”

George Hopkins last spoke to the captain, Katlin Nickerson just minutes before the boat capsized.

“I talked to him at 10:15 p.m. on Sunday night,” he said.

“They were having trouble with their invertor that operated the crab light…that would have helped them see where they were going.”

He said there were three or four calls to shore placed after that before it all went silent.

A life raft was spotted the next morning by a US Coast Guard aircraft via a flare but high winds and swells reaching 10 metres impeded their ability to do anything.

After an extensive search officials at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre made the difficult decision to end the search at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday.

“It hurts to know they called it off,” said Hopkins.  “We know why but it hurts.”

He now wants the boat that he has been told is located, searched.

“There could be bodies in there,” he said.  “We need to know if there are bodies in the boat.”

He said that he was told that officials believed the life raft spotted did not have anyone onboard.

“They said that’s why they couldn’t find it again,” said Hopkins.  “Because there was no one in it, it would have floated around with no weight to slow it down.”

“It’s up to Ottawa to get the right equipment to the boat to flip it over,” he said.  “We need them to do that now.”

He said that friends and family of Joel were filling up his home.

“Joel’s full of life,” he said.  “I like to be able to talk about him…it helps to talk.”

Comments

  • Username
    Mrs. John Oss
    - February 24, 2013 at 17:03:53

    I would like to offer my sincere condolences to all the families of the brave young men. You may not know that people far away were praying and thinking of you and your proud families. I lived in Barrington Passage, while my late husband,Dr. John Oss was Superintendent of Schools for Shelburne County. I grew to love your community. Your people are THE SALT OF THE EARTH...Be brave,positive and know that they are in Heaven....Carol Oss

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  • Username
    maeghen
    - February 21, 2013 at 10:35:14

    im really sorry about your loss i hope they can find the boat my brother know joel really good hes a good men i feel really bad for the five men i hope they can find them soon its really sad i feel really bad for the family and friends my thoughts and prays go out to all who know them from maeghen and bonnie and her hundson

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  • Username
    Deb LeBlanc-Kerr
    - February 21, 2013 at 10:11:16

    My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these 5 brave,hardworking young men.The sea claims many lives,but she can never claim the love and memories of those that knew and loved these men.May you all take comfort in knowing that although I don't know any of these men,my sincere condolences go to the families of all of these young men.May your loved ones rest in peace.They will never be forgotten.

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  • Username
    K.Brannen
    - February 20, 2013 at 20:47:37

    THE CREW OF '' MISS ALLEY'' I know you all fought to save your lives out on that stormy sea Rest assured back here on land we prayed your faces again we would see. Not this time not on this side of heaven's glory will you walk as you did before but not all hope is gone you see , there is another shore. So you joined the many before you who went down the ocean blue a graveyard of brave soldiers who made thier living just like you. Now rest is yours as you await for the saviour of your souls I'll pray for you as others will to your peace for ever more. Billy Jack, Kaitlen, Joel, Tyson and Cole Rest in peace. ~ K.Brannen~

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  • Username
    Tommy Blades
    - February 20, 2013 at 20:40:50

    I just lost my son in a car accident a few months ago , so I do know what your going through George...To some extent I may add...I was able to kiss my son and hold him before he was put in the ground , I'm positive it would give you some much needed closure to be able to do that if Joel was found in the boat. If they found the boat , I dont understand why they wouldn't do some kind of salvage or investigation kind of thing with it !!

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  • Username
    Patricia Stoddart Core
    - February 20, 2013 at 19:25:49

    My heart is heavy with grief for these young men and their families. The sea that we love often takes to herself those who love her. God Bles you all and give you peace.

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  • Username
    Norah Ossinger Trecartin
    - February 20, 2013 at 18:38:39

    I am so sorry for your loss....it is a time of crippling grief sad remembering. Keep at the officials! Our community went thru this almost 3 years to the day.It is difficult to get the officials to search longer but if they know where the boat is and it is still floating it should be searched, it would bring a measure of peace to those boys loved ones and that would be priceless!

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  • Username
    Susan Surette
    - February 20, 2013 at 18:20:38

    I can not imagine the pain that all the families are going through..It is so hard to lose a loved one, but losing one to the sea has got to be harder as there is no closure. I just hope and pray that you all can find it in your hearts to go on with the memories that these men have left with all of you....they will live on with their children ....my deepest sympathies to the friends and family members of these wonderful men .

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  • Username
    karen gouthro
    - February 20, 2013 at 15:40:56

    im so sorry for the loss of the families who;s loved ones are missing. i hope they search the boat and you all get the answers you need as to why this tradgey happened and to be able to bury your love ones and have closure that you need. you are in my prayers . just know that many are thinking of all of you in this difficult time.

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  • Username
    Geraldine Brannen Blair
    - February 20, 2013 at 15:27:56

    I cannot express the heartfelt sympathy I feel for all of the families and friends of these five brave fishermen. My son is also a fishermen so I understand the pride and the worry that we hold together in our hearts and minds for our sons,husbands,fathers,partners and friends that choose to "Go down to the SEA in Boats"

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  • Username
    Morgan Kempton
    - February 20, 2013 at 14:23:32

    I wan't to offer my sincere condolences to everyone involed in such a tragedy and urge everyone who needs to be contacted to please make the right decision and do this for the family. Search that boat, get the manpower out there and just do it... You owe the family that much...

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  • Username
    Marie Muise-Mombourquette
    - February 20, 2013 at 14:22:36

    So very sorry for your loss. Thoughts and prayers for you all. Keep memories of your loved ones close and may you find some comfort there.

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  • Username
    Peter
    - February 20, 2013 at 14:02:49

    I am sure that there are small ROV (remote operated vessel) available in Nova Scotia that they could use to search the vessel, this would be a quick way before the vessel is lost.

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  • Username
    Elizabeth Rhyno
    - February 20, 2013 at 13:44:29

    I am so very sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this hard time.

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  • Username
    Peter
    - February 20, 2013 at 13:42:35

    I am sure that there are small ROV (remote operated vessel) available in Nova Scotia that they could use to search the vessel, this would be a quick way before the vessel is lost.

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  • Username
    Nick Bent
    - February 20, 2013 at 13:37:50

    My heart is very heavy as I think about the pain you and the rest of the friends and family are going through. Never stop talking about your son !!! Talking is the most important part right now to help get you through this difficult time !!! Talking is good !! keep talking !!! Be proud !!!

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  • Username
    cathy morash
    - February 20, 2013 at 13:26:45

    my heart sure goes out to all the family's .....we need to pray for the family's thru this difficult time

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  • Username
    Myra Leblanc
    - February 20, 2013 at 12:39:43

    So very sad, prayers go out to the friends and families.

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    • Username
      enos dominix
      - February 20, 2013 at 13:44:49

      to george and the families of the rest of the crew my prayers and thoughts are with you and your families

  • Username
    Donna
    - February 20, 2013 at 12:34:11

    I am so very sorry for your loss ... keep talking about your son. I am sorry for all the families who are going through this terrible tragedy. I lost my Dad and my brother to the sea (fishermen). I know it is the risk they take but the loss is sad and it is so hard to deal with the shock .... and it is so difficult to move on without a body to lay to rest. You will do it but I pray they will search the boat for you and the other families. These young men deserve to be brought home and laid to rest on soil if at all possible. The families would then be able to have closure. Once again, our prayers are with you and the families of the other young men ... I cannot even express how sad I feel for all involved. God Bless you.

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  • Username
    Bonnie Nickerson Atwood
    - February 20, 2013 at 12:33:16

    My heart really brakes for you and everyone down home whose loss is so sad. I grew up as a fishermans daughter and know the dangers all too well. I walked the floor a few nights with my mother while the boat my father and brother were on was being located. My sons have all been fisherman at one time or another I always said I will never marry a fisherman but the boys made up for it. The sea is so beautiful and I miss it terribly but it is like a woman scorned she can turn on you in an instant. I know there is nothing I can say right now that will make your loss hurt less but just know there are so many people praying for you. God is with you and He loves you let Him take some of your grief and remember all the good times.

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    • Username
      John Nauss
      - February 21, 2013 at 21:51:59

      Such a loss!! I know many relatives of mine who have been lost at sea, including my own father who was lost but survived, twice. I also had a great-uncle who was lost at sea twice and survived by making it to Sable Island. I have Uncles and cousins years ago who were lost in the 1927 incident called "The August Gale", my mum's Aunt was left a widow at age 21. So many also in the 1960's where I grew up in Shelburne, lost their lives toiling with at the sea. It is only acceptance and time that will help to heal the deep wounds that grief carved into our hearts. Every Nova Scotian, every fisherman and all their families know too well the angst and worry that we all feel whenever there is a wind or storm or even a warning. It is in our blood. Fishermen are amongst the Nobelist of people. The are hard working and fun living, open and honest, living often on the edge despite all that. The Nova Scotia I know is filled with close knit families and communities and we are revered for our friendly nature and our compassion especially when it comes with disasters at sea. It is part of our spirit and soul. I was only little when I heard my own father call out the May-day call and then the radio went silent. I was very lucky that they found him and the others. The grief we felt is always there but now the years have passed, it is mostly worked through and I am at peace, as much as one can be. The shortest verse in the bible is ," Jesus wept" May all those families who are grieving come to a peace and know that through your sorrow, and every tear you shed, is heard and felt by the one who wept before you. Gather all the good, bad, and the humanness together and arrive at an acceptance that we do not always know "why" these events happen, they just do. One day when we cross over, when it is our turn to leave this mortal coil, we will meet all our loved ones and be united again. Till then, we wait and watch and carry on; hoping, praying, accepting and knowing there are answers. Love and support of compassion to you all. John N. Nauss

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