Nova Scotia RCMP say ground search for the five fishermen missing off the coast of Delaps Cove, N.S., is suspended indefinitely due to unsafe weather-related conditions.
Police said on Friday they partnered with the province’s Department of Lands and Forestry to continue search efforts from the air.
In a Saturday news release, the RCMP said approximately 20 kilometres between Hillsburn and Morden were searched with the helicopters. “The search did not locate the missing fishermen nor debris from the vessel.”
The 15-metre Chief William Saulis foundered northeast of Digby on Tuesday, amid three-metre waves pushed by 40 km/h gusts and an unusually high tide.
The body of one man was recovered late Tuesday, but the search continued as crews said they were seeking closure for the other families.
The company where the fishers worked, Yarmouth Sea Products, confirmed their names: Aaron Cogswell, Leonard Gabriel, Dan Forbes, Michael Drake and Geno Francis, and captain Charles Roberts.
Ground search has been suspended since Wednesday, as a heavy snowstorm was gearing towards Nova Scotia.
The Mayor of Yarmouth Pam Mood told Global News earlier this week that the suspension hit hard, as families of those missing need closure. While it happened for the right reasons, it slowed down the grieving process, she said.
“You cannot even put into words. The grieving process is the most important and I don’t even know if we’re there yet,” she said.
She said the town will work with the association, Workers Compensation Board and the Mental Health Foundation going forward, “to ensure everyone has access to the help they need.”