The RCMP have gotten the green light to have the assistance of the military in their recovery of the five fishermen that have been lost at sea almost four days.
The military will use both navy and air in their mission.
“It has already began,” said Superintendent Sylvie Bourassa-Muise of the RCMP. She said the navy would be setting out from Halifax but couldn’t say whether it would be today or tomorrow.
Two RCMP officers will be ready to leave with the navy vessel.
But a flotilla of friends of the five men gone missing have already set off in their own recovery mission.
Fishing boats have been setting out for the past few hours, unwilling to wait for the RCMP to cut through the red tape.
Supt. Bourassa-Muise confirmed that there was some that have taken it upon themselves to find the lost fishermen.
“We urge them to take extreme caution,” said Supt. Bourassa-Muise. “We have not asked the community for their engagement in the recovery.”
She said that they have been in touch with one of the captains of the flotilla.
Supt. Bourassa-Muise said that the military is readying themselves for various scenarios including what to do if the fishermen are not aboard the boat and the survival suits are missing.
“At some point we may have to step back and review what the next step will be,” said Supt. Bourassa-Muise.
“We don’t know what awaits us,” she said. “Our recovery effort is for the five souls and for helping the community.”
The RCMP have set up a command centre in Wood’s Harbour where they have been working with the family and the community.
The search for the 45-foot Miss Ally began Sunday night after an emergency locator beacon was activated at 11:06 p.m. about 120 kilometres south of Liverpool.
A life raft, spotted the next morning by an U.S. Coast Guard aircraft, was not seen again despite desperate searches by aircraft and ships. — Sheburne County Coast Guard
