Plans are underway by a mother and the town of Yarmouth, N.S., for memorials to six fishermen who died when their scallop dragger sank off the province’s southwestern coast 14 months ago.
The bodies of Aaron Cogswell, Leonard Gabriel, Dan Forbes, Geno Francis and captain Charles Roberts were never found after the sinking of the Chief William Saulis on Dec. 15, 2020, while the body of crew member Michael Drake came ashore near Delaps Cove, N.S. — a coastal village about 50 kilometres north of Digby.
Lori Phillips, Cogswell’s mother, has ordered a stone monument to be installed in the Delaps Cove area as a place to remember her son, and it also has the names and images of the other fishermen on it.
Meanwhile, Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood says her community will also be adding the men’s names to the “Lost to the Sea” memorial in the town’s waterfront area, with an expectation the work will occur in the spring.
The RCMP called off the search to find the bodies of the lost men just over a year ago, and both the police agency and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada indicated the boat — which sank in 60 metres of water — wouldn’t be raised.
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The safety board has yet to release its findings and recommendations on the safety issues related to the tragedy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2022.
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