Transportation Safety Board gathering information on fatal N.S. fishing incident
TSB is weighing what steps they will take next, including opening an investigation
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is deciding whether to investigate a recent fatal fishing incident off Nova Scotia.
The Mucktown Girl halibut boat went down off the coast of Canso, N.S., on Sunday.
Four of its five crew members were rescued by the Canadian Coast Guard, but the fifth man fell off a life raft as the crew was being transferred to a coast guard vessel around 6:30 a.m. AT Sunday.
The fisherman, Jeremy Hart of Windsor Junction, N.S., was eventually pulled out after spending five hours in the ocean, but died in hospital on Sunday.
Board spokesperson Chris Krepski said Tuesday the TSB has been notified of the situation, and is assessing what the next steps will be.
"What we learn as we're gathering and assessing information, that will determine what level or what scope of investigation we might do," he said.
Coast guard says no sign of vessel
The Canadian Coast Guard has flown over the area twice since Sunday and there is "no sign" of the fishing boat or pollution, spokesperson Alexandra McNab said in an email Tuesday morning.
She said it's believed the vessel sunk, but the coast guard's environmental response team will continue to monitor the area.
CCGS Jean Goodwill attempted to rescue the five crew members by manoeuvring alongside the life-raft, McNab said Monday. At the time, seas were "estimated to be eight to 10 metres, with winds of 83 to 92 kilometres per hour," said the email, which didn't provide details on how Hart ended up in the water.
McNab said the rescuers were unable to reach Hart because of the conditions.
The fishing boat had requested assistance because of engine problems early Saturday when it was more than 160 kilometres southeast of Canso, N.S.
An attempt by the Jean Goodwill to tow the boat to Mulgrave, N.S., failed on Saturday night, leaving the Mucktown Girl adrift. McNab said the captain of the Jean Goodwill deemed it unsafe to try to re-establish the tow because of the weather and decided the safest thing was to remain by the vessel until the weather improved.
But when the Mucktown Girl began taking on water the next morning, the crew boarded a life-raft just after 6 a.m.
Crew members from the Mucktown Girl vessel were all wearing immersion suits, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said.