Two fishermen drowned off Miscou on Saturday morning, the first day of the lobster fishing season in this region of the Acadian Peninsula.
At around 8:50 a.m., the Lamèque RCMP was alerted to the emergency situation and reported that two people had fallen into the water about seven kilometers offshore and were not visible.
The Canadian Coast Guard immediately began searching and found an unconscious 58-year-old, who unfortunately died a short time later.
The search continued but the second person, 33, was also found dead. Their names have not been published.
A third man was in the boat. He didn’t go overboard.
According to the RCMP, the two victims are from Lamèque, but the boat on which they took place has Miscou as its home port.
A helicopter, two planes and three boats from the joint rescue coordination center and several local fishing boats were involved in the search and rescue operations.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will participate in the investigation along with a member of the New Brunswick Coroner’s Office.
Despite the tragedy, Miscou lobster fishermen continued to set their traps in the water. – New Academy: Bernard Haché
dangerous day
The first day of lobster fishing is often the most dangerous of the season because the boats are loaded with dozens of traps stacked on top of each other.
Fishermen also know that launching cables are particularly dangerous because they can grab a foot and drag the person with them.
The Miscou quay was bustling with activity in the middle of the day. Dozens of fishermen climbed traps, wired and weighed down with concrete. The season begins tragically, and everyone was obviously aware of the sad event that mowed down two of them.
They did their work like a habit, a routine. They were aware of the risks of the profession and did not want to flaunt their whims. The fishermen know the sea is unforgiving, but they all had in mind the fate that just befell them.
The Acadie-Bathurst member responded on his Facebook page. “My thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and the entire community of Miscou who are going through difficult times due to an incident that occurred on a fishing boat this morning. Fishing in our regions has been part of our culture for generations. Rest assured that all of the Acadie-Bathurst communities are with you during this painful time.”
In other sectors of the Acadian Peninsula, especially in Caraquet, fishing has started since Sunday.