Search continues for missing halibut fishermen as families wait through night
HALIFAX - An overnight search by coast guard vessels and several aircraft has produced no sign of the crew of a fishing boat that went missing in hurricane-force winds.
A spokesman for the Halifax search and rescue co-ordination centre said early today that sea conditions early today and late Monday were extremely rough, with waves reaching six metres.
Lt. Peter Ryan says that the search by a Hercules aircraft, a Cormorant helicopter and the coast guard ships over a vast area of ocean 120 kilometres southeast of Liverpool hadn't resulted in any sightings of either the five missing crew, their life-raft or their vessel.
He says that the Cormorant helicopter had to return to its base during the night due to the poor conditions, but will head out again today.
The search and rescue co-ordination centre says the emergency locator beacon transmitted a signal from the 13-metre boat, based in Woods Harbour, N.S., on Sunday at 11 p.m.
George Hopkins, the father of one of the missing men, 27-year-old Joel Hopkins of Woods Harbour, has said the name of the vessel is the Miss Ally.
