Tag Archives: Joel Hopkins
F/V Miss Ally remembered: 10 years since tragedy claimed five Shelburne County fishermen
It will be 10 years ago on Feb. 17 that life forever changed for the families and friends of five Shelburne County fishermen, forever known as the crew of the Miss Ally. Caught in a huge storm with waves larger than 10 metres and hurricane-force winds, the 45-foot fishing vessel was on its way into port from a halibut fishing trip when it ran into trouble about 120 kilometres southeast of Liverpool on Feb. 17, 2013. The vessel’s emergency locator beacon was activated at 11:06 p.m. The Canadian Coast Guard was dispatched. But to the heartbreak of families and friends – and communities in southwestern Nova Scotia – there would be no rescue. None of the crew came back home from that fishing trip. Photos, two stories. >click to read<
Miss Ally remembered: ‘Would do it again in a heartbeat’ says diver who searched capsized vessel – >click to read< 16:10
‘I say his name every day’: Captain’s mother of F/V Miss Ally, seven years later
A mother who lost her son to the North Atlantic seven years ago when the Miss Ally capsized wants the vessel’s crew to always be remembered. “To me, it’s like it happened yesterday,” says Della Sears, whose son was the captain. The last time Sears saw her son, Katlin Nickerson, and his friends, was on Feb. 12, 2013, when she drove them to the wharf on Cape Sable Island, N.S. Tragedy struck five days later, on Feb. 17, when a storm capsized the boat. The bodies of the five fishermen were never found. >click to read< 07:14
‘Playing with fire’: Fishing’s cruel seas and even crueler economics
On Feb. 12, 2013, an unseasonably warm evening, five young fishermen departed the West Head wharf on Cape Sable Island, N.S. aboard the Miss Ally, a 12-metre Cape Islander. The men, spanning in age from 21 to 33 — three of them fathers of young children—were headed out in pursuit of halibut, a valuable winter catch. On deck that night were Billy Jack Hatfield, a recently-engaged 33-year-old; Cole Nickerson, 28, a burly and strong former junior hockey player; Joel Hopkins, a 27-year-old father of two who absolutely loved the thrill of fishing; and Tyson Townsend, 25, a gifted athlete with a seven-month-old daughter. At the wheel, piloting the boat into darkness, was Katlin Nickerson, Miss Ally’s 21-year-old captain and owner. click here to read the story 13:13
The Courageous Crew of Miss Ally-Lost at Sea Fundraising Auction raises over $86,000 for the family’s of the men.
The Courageous Crew of Miss Ally-Lost at Sea Fundraising Auction has raised more than $86,000 for the families of the lost fishermen. The fundraising effort, which began shortly after the February tragedy that saw five Shelburne County fishermen lose their lives, received huge support locally and from around the world said organizers. From its humble social media beginnings, the auction eventually saw thousands of items and services donated. continued
Final services for Miss Ally fishermen this week
Two weeks of memorial services for the five fishermen lost on the Miss Ally will end with a final service, one for Katlin Nickerson on Saturday, March 16 at the Calvary Baptist Church in Woods Harbour. The memorial service for Billy Jack Hatfield will be held Thursday, March 14 at 2 p.m. at Huskilson’s Funeral Home Barrington. continued
Search called off for missing Nova Scotia fishermen
Forty hours after an “exhaustive search” began for five young fishermen whose vessel capsized in turbulent seas off Liverpool on Sunday night, it ended. Read more
FV Miss Ally Woods Harbour NS. Skipper Katlin Nickerson, Billy Hatfield, Joel Hopkins, Cole Nickerson, Tyson Townsend.
