WATCH ABOVE: The coast guard, RCMP, and local fire department were involved in a large search Thursday, after a Moncton man went overboard in the Shediac area. Global’s Alex Abdelwahab reports.
GRANDE-DIGUE, NB – The search for a missing Moncton man continued Thursday, after he went overboard Wednesday night.
The Canadian Coast Guard ended their search at noon Thursday and was turned over to the RCMP.
The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax had dispatched a Cormorant helicopter to the waters near Shediac Cape, Grande-Digue and Shediac Island.
The 42-year-old Moncton was reported missing at 11:20 p.m. Wednesday.
He had been out on a 16-foot pleasure craft with a friend.
“The second individual in the boat spent an amount of time looking for him, trying to find him,” Sgt. Paul Ouellette, commander of the Southeast RCMP told reporters.
“After 45 minutes or so, he brought the boat to shore and called for assistance, for emergency services.”
Fernand Gallant lives across the street from where the men first went into the water in their boat.
“Around 1:30 a.m. I started hearing the helicopter,” he said. “They were going around all night.”
The Coast Guard led the search overnight, using the helicopter and a ship. They also had the assistance of a boat from the Cocagne Fire Department.
The RCMP helicopter and a boat, as well as a boat from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans joined the search in the morning.
Yvon Robichaud was kayaking the area with his wife Thursday morning.
“The helicopters were flying back and forth, sometimes on top of us,” he said. “There’s a couple other smaller boats, with I presume RCMP in it. They’re scouring the coast on this side and around the island.”
Robichaud described the water as calm.
Sgt. Ouellette said RCMP were in possession of the boat and had spoken with the man’s friend.
Foul play is not suspected, but the man was not wearing a life jacket when he went overboard, though there was one in the boat.
RCMP also say alcohol was a contributing factor. Officials are now considering the search a recovery mission for the man’s body.
They will continue the search Friday, weather permitting.
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