Tag Archives: Lost at Sea
The fatal truth about commercial fishing
A note from the authors: Dear readers, we have wanted to cover this story for a long time. Given the fishing tragedies this province has endured, we acknowledge this is a difficult subject. This reporting honours those lost at sea, doing what they loved most: fishing. We recognize the collective grief of families, communities and the entire province. We hope this work illuminates what’s going wrong on the water and helps bring more fish harvesters home safely. Inshore harvesters dealing with trauma after incidents like the ones we describe can access PTSD coverage through workers’ compensation (WorkplaceNL). For anyone else, 811 can connect you with mental health supports in your community.
“My god, what are you doing to me?” says Brenda Gould, remembering the words she shouted into the sky that fateful day in 1989. The Port au Choix woman had just learned that her 22-year-old son Brendan, known as Ben, drowned while fishing off the coast of the Northern Peninsula. It wasn’t the first time tragedy knocked at Gould’s door. Eleven years earlier, in 1978, her husband Gabriel, 35, also drowned while fishing. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:41
Company to pay £100k after unsafe vessel sinks causing deaths of two fishermen
Laura D Fishing Ltd, a company operating fishing vessels from Brixham, has pleaded guilty to failing to take all reasonable steps to ensure that a vessel was operated in a safe manner, under Section 100(1) and100(3) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. On 21 November, 2020, Robert Morley, Adam Harper and David Bickerstaff were onboard the Joanna C, five miles south of Shoreham, when the vessel’s gear snagged on the seabed. The vessel’s lack of stability meant it could not recover, causing the Joanna C to rapidly sink. Out of the three crew members, only Mr Bickerstaff survived. Prior to the incident, Joanna C, owned by Laura D Fishing, had undergone a major refit in 2019, including the addition of a whaleback, extension of the wheelhouse and fitting raised bulwarks. These, along with other modifications, affected the stability of the vessel. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:29
Maine lobsterman lost at sea remembered for dedication to family and friends
A Steuben teenager and lobsterman was collectively remembered for his positive attitude, wisecracks, blue eyes and bushy eyebrows when several hundred people gathered Sunday for a memorial service in a Sullivan school gymnasium. Nearly a month after Tylar Michaud, 18, went missing at sea while hauling lobster traps, and roughly 10 weeks after he graduated from Sumner Memorial High School. Michaud’s extended family, friends and members of the community gathered for a celebration of his life at the school. Michaud’s sense of humor, dedication to his family and friends, and his love of the outdoors figured prominently in their remarks. >click to read< 07:29
Community mourns young lobsterman lost at sea
Tylar Michaud’s boat, F/V Top Gun, was found Friday, July 21, southwest of Petit Manan Bar, with its engine running but no one on board. “The whole community is shaken by this,” said state Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, a Winter Harbor resident and himself a lobsterman. “I don’t think there’s anyone in this community that isn’t somehow connected to Tylar by family or friendship.” Michaud, a Steuben resident, was fishing alone, which carries inherent risks, but relative Michael Faulkingham said Tylar had fished for about five years on his own. He had also worked on Michael’s boat last year. “I know how careful he was and how smart he was on the boat, and how vigilant he was about paying attention and being careful,” Michael said. “He’s been a part of our family for about 11, 12 years. He was exceptionally responsible and wise on the water beyond his years.” >click to read< 08:59
Mother of Man Lost at Sea Renews Call for Dedicated Search and Rescue Services in Labrador
The mother of one of two fishermen lost at sea is renewing her calls for increased search and rescue services in Labrador before a meeting with the federal government. Jeannette Russell, the mother of Marc Russell who, along with Joey Jenkins passed away when their vessel the Island Lady sank while on a fishing trip, will join provincial Labrador Affairs minister Lisa Dempster in a meeting with the Minister of National Defence in an effort to improve emergency response on the Big Land. Russell says if she doesn’t speak out, then who will? >click to read< 10:04
Dartmouth fisherman remembered 40 years on
A Dartmouth family is remembering a crabber who was lost at sea 40 years ago today. 28 year old Paul Goddard had been crabbing off Weymouth on March 12 1983. Tragically he and his boat, the Exuberent, disappeared and he was never found. Former crew member Alan Spencer said: “She was a Cygnus Garry Mitchell design 32-foot displacement hull work boat.“ In the winter of 1981 it was decided to move her and her fishing gear to the “Over falls” off Weymouth in Dorset as fishing was rich there at that time of the year. On March 12 1983 she was being brought back to Dartmouth by the” Skipper” alone as the crew moved all the boats husbandry back to Dartmouth by road. “What happened next will never be known exactly. >click to read< 12:11
Remembering the F/V Joanna C fishing boat tragedy on second anniversary
Today we remember the second anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Joanna C fishing boat off the Sussex coast near the port of Newhaven in which two fishermen lost their lives. On the morning of 21st of November 2020 6am HM Coastguard received a EPIRB alert located around three nautical miles at Seaford near Newhaven from the vessel Joanna C. Three fishermen were on board at the time of sinking, one of them was pulled out of the water and brought to shore by the Newhaven RNLI. Unfortunately, 2 other crew were lost at sea. Adam Harper, 26, from Brixham and Robert Morley, 38, from Pembrokeshire. 2 videos, >click to read< 09:57
F/V Joanna C: Fishermen deaths were accidental, inquest says
Two fisherman died accidentally when their trawler capsized and life raft failed to inflate, an inquest has concluded. The 45ft scalloping vessel capsized after getting snagged on whelk pots, the inquest at Hastings Coroner’s Court heard. Marine Accident Investigations Branch inspector Joanna Dorman told the jury: “We don’t know what would have happened had the life raft inflated. But we do know that it had an adverse effect on the chance of surviving.” Ms. Dorman also said the vessel had been modified since its last stability analysis in 1997, and that the stability was below the level it should have been. She described the vessel at the time of the accident as being “vulnerable” to capsizing. >click to read< 15:43
Family of Robert Morley ‘bemused’ by F/V Joanna C tragedy report
Robert Morley’s stepdad and mother said the outcome of an investigation into the sinking of the F/V Joanna C had not given them the “peace of mind” they hoped for. Barry and Jackie Woolford are awaiting the inquest into Robert’s death to clear up a number of “anomalies”. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch report described how Robert was thrown from the boat as it capsized and he hung onto a lifebuoy before he eventually drowned. “We lost our son but we’re really none the wiser as to why. We know how but we don’t know why. “There are anomalies which we want to ask about at the inquest.” >click to read< 19:33
F/V Johanna C: Life raft failure blamed after fishermen deaths
Two fishermen died after their trawler capsized and their life raft failed to inflate, a report has said. Investigators said the failure of the life raft “impacted” the chances of two men surviving after they were thrown into the water when the Joanna C sank in November 2020. One of the men in the water died, but the other was later rescued. A third crew member drowned after being trapped in the sinking boat, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch said. MAIB chief inspector Andrew Moll said: “Unfortunately, Joanna C’s ‘float-free’ life raft arrangements did not work as expected. >click to read< 10:38
F/V Joanna C: Sinking findings released year after tragedy
Experts investigating the sinking of the scalloper F/V Joanna C, which went down in November last year with the loss of two lives, have completed their investigation. The crew were recovering their fishing gear when the boat capsized, the interim report confirms. A full report is now being prepared on the incident in which Brixham fisherman Adam Harper and crewmate Robert Morley died. Skipper Dave Bickerstaff was rescued from the sea after hanging on to a lifebuoy for four hours after raising the alarm. >click to read< 13:17
Daughter continues work of father lost at sea on Maine fishing boat
In January 2020, the 42-foot fishing boat Hayley Ann sank 50 miles southeast of Portland. The Coast Guard never determined what happened. No distress call was sent. Only an automated emergency beacon alerted them to the tragedy. The disaster claimed the lives of Capt. Arnold “Joe” Nickerson, 60, of Arundel and his crewman, 44-year-old Christopher Pinkham of Boothbay Harbor. >click to read< 15:58
Search suspended for crewman who went overboard from New Bedford fishing vessel
The Coast Guard on Monday morning responded to a call for a man overboard from commercial fishing vessel F/V Blue Wave, a scalloping vessel belonging Blue Harvest Fisheries. CEO Keith Decker said the vessel returned to port Tuesday morning, where crew members will meet with Coast Guard officials. He said they are waiting for the investigation to determine what happened. There were seven crew members on the vessel, including the captain and the man who went overboard. The Blue Wave left port around Friday, Decker said, and was scheduled to return after eight to 10 days. >click to read< 15:07
Organizers tell of fundraiser ‘success’ for fishermen lost at sea
Organizers of a fundraiser for a new memorial to remember a group of fishermen who tragically died at sea have described it as a “success”. Old Bills Valeting, Seaford, raised a total of £500 through a raffle and donating 10 per cent of their earnings from June as part of efforts to remember those lost at sea. Robert Morley and Adam Harper lost their lives after their boat, the Joanna C, sank in November last year. Robert’s family launched an appeal for a memorial to placed in the harbour – to remember those who have lost their lives at sea. >click to read< 07:50
A fundraiser is established for a memorial to remember fishermen who died off Newhaven coast
The family of a fisherman who tragically died when his ship sank off the coast of Newhaven are raising funds for a new memorial to remember those lost at sea. Robert Morley and Adam Harper lost their lives after their boat, the F/V Joanna C, sank in November last year. Captain Dave Bickerstaff was pulled from the water by lifeboat crews, after he was found holding on to a lifebuoy almost four hours after the tragedy. Now, months after Robert Morley was laid to rest, his family are fundraising for a memorial to placed in the harbour to remember those who have lost their lives at sea. photos, >click to read< Memorial for our lost fisherman – Thanks to everyone for donating and sharing, we are receiving amazing support this is obviously close to our hearts as it is to Adams and Darren’s families , this memorial will also stand as a tribute to all fishermen and women a memorial for Newhaven is long overdue, >click to read, and please donate if you can< 07:49
1 year after tragic sinking, St. Lawrence marks anniversary with memorials to those lost at sea
The heartache is still as fresh as it was one year ago for Kerri Lynn Kettle. Kettle lost her husband, Isaac Kettle, when the fishing vessel Sarah Anne sank off St. Lawrence in May 2020. Now, she’s raising two little boys on her own. “It’s been a living nightmare. We are slowly getting through it,” said Kettle. 
Three other men from the community lost their lives when the crab fishing vessel went down on May 25, 2020: skipper Eddie Joe Norman, 67; his son, Scott Norman, 35; and his nephew, Jody Norman, 42. What makes things even harder for Kerri Lynn Kettle is that her husband wasn’t even a commercial fisherman. Isaac Kettle, 33, had been working as a driller at a gold mine in Ontario. >click to read< 21:32
Oregon fisherman lost at sea 28 miles outside Grays Harbor
The Coast Guard suspended the search Friday for a 47-year-old man who fell overboard while heading out with friends to fish for halibut 28 miles northwest of Grays Harbor. Missing and presumed dead is Jason LaBrie of Oregon City, Oregon. According to a GoFundMe page set up for the family, LaBrie leaves behind his wife Bethany, son Alden, and daughter Sophia. Fishermen aboard the 26-foot vessel Defiance II activated an emergency position indicating radio beacon after realizing LaBrie was missing, according to a Coast Guard statement. >click to read< 09:26
Blessing of the Fleet: Riding the wave of celebration and sorrow
Losing her husband to the sea more than 20 years ago still feels like yesterday to Jude Wells, but the annual Blessing of the Fleet brings some comfort to the heartache. At the 20th anniversary of the Blessing of the Fleet held at the Sunderland Marine Pier on Saturday afternoon, hundreds turned out on the sunny Nelson autumn day to sample the $3 fish and chip trays, and take in the sights and sounds of the event. But for some, the day is more than an enjoyable afternoon out , it’s a commemoration of those lost to the sea. video >click to read< 11:18
Commercial fishing binds communities, is dangerous livelihood
The Port Clyde fishing community is a tight-knit group with families and friends connected by the sea. That sea, however, can be cruel as it was March 26, when Travis Thorbjornson became the latest in a long list of fishermen to die in its waters. Thorbjornson died Friday, March 26. His lifelong friends, Gerry Cushman, Raymie Upham and Justin ‘Buzza’ Libby, recovered him from the sea. He is the second member of his family to die on the waters. In July 2005, his brother and best friend 40-year-old Gary Thorbjornson, captain of the fishing vessel Sirius, was lost at sea when his 50-foot wooden trawler sank 30 miles southeast of Rockland. A shiny, black granite memorial bearing the name of 11 fishermen lost at sea stands on the grounds of the Marshall Point Lighthouse. Gary Thorbjornson’s image is depicted on the other side of the monument that was dedicated in May 2008. >click to read< 12:27
One year after the F/V Scandies Rose sinks: Family honors the victims
December 31, 2020 marks one year since a mayday call that changed lives. The F/V Scandies Rose fishing boat issued the call off the coast of Kodiak, during a sinking some crew members would not survive. Family members of a few of the victims said they will commemorate the lives lost at sea Thursday evening at 9:50, the time the mayday call went out. Please >click to read, and watch the video< . 11:49
Tales a tree tells: Murray Harbour’s Christmas monument remembers fishermen lost at sea
On a stormy afternoon in August of 1940, three fishermen were returning to the harbour when their boat capsized about a mile off of Beach Point. It’s said that the waves were high that day. The boat – which had relatives Vernon Jordan, John White and Bobby Nelson on board ¬– was overturned after being swept away by a strong wind. Today, the impact of the tragedy is remembered as part of Murray Harbour’s history. This year, residents of eastern P.E.I are honouring those tragedies with Murray Harbour’s new Christmas monument. Video, photos, >click to read< 09:35
Family of fisherman lost at sea, Michael Porper Jr., thanks public
It’s been more than two weeks since Michael Porper Jr. was lost at sea, and his family continues to struggle with grief. The 38-year-old Gloucester native was among the four crewmen aboard the dragger F/V Emmy Rose when it went down early Nov. 23 off Provincetown. “It’s difficult, sometimes it’s really hard — just too much,” said his father, Michael. Porper said his son, known as Mikey, was born, raised and attended schools in Gloucester, and started working on fishing boats when he 15. “He really never stopped,” he added. “His great-grandfather was a famous fisherman, and he wanted want to be just like him,” he said, referring to Capt. Robert Porper, noted by author Gordon Thomas as a “highliner” in the fishery, his vessels catching more halibut than any other Gloucester schooners. >click to read< 11:24
Obituary: Captain Robert “Bobby” Waugh Blethen Jr.
Robert “Bobby” Waugh Blethen Jr. of Georgetown, Maine, passed away when his fishing vessel was lost to the sea on Nov. 23, 2020. Bobby was born on Nov. 20, 1979, in Portland, Maine, and raised in Yarmouth, Maine. He was a caring child who easily connected with those around him and who was often found taking things apart and putting them back together at an early age. He began working in the fishing industry as a teenager. He excelled at the challenging work and went on to captain several boats, most recently F/V Emmy Rose. Bobby was a respected member of the fishing community. >click to read< 06:49
Obituary: Commercial Fisherman Michael John Porper Jr.,
Michael John Porper Jr., was born Feb. 12, 1982, in Gloucester, Mass., and was living with his fianceé and daughter, Grace, in North Berwick when Mike was lost at sea On the morning of Nov. 23, 2020, Mike was on his way home from a fishing trip, when tragically the boat sank. Mike was a loving father to two beautiful daughters, Myiah Olivia Porper and Grace Ann Porper. Michael loved what he did he was always proud to be known as a fisherman. >click to read< 12:05
Obituary: Jeffery Matthews – He was a hard-working, old-school fisherman.
Jeffery Matthews, 55, sank with his crew and went to heaven as a legend fisherman on Nov. 23, 2020, while he was at sea, doing what he loved. Jeff, above all things was a family man. He lived and breathed for his three children and grandkids. He was the definition of selfless, always giving, helping and doing for others. If he wasn’t at sea fishing, he was with his family, whether it was helping to fix a car, teaching his grandchildren how to ride a bike, or giving his time to anyone who needed help. Jeff spent over 35 years as a commercial fisherman. Some people might say he enjoyed being on the water more than he did being on land. Fishing was his life and soul. He was a hard-working, old-school fisherman. He was always there to help his crew no matter what the circumstances were. >click to read< 09:49
For commercial fishermen, November is the cruelest month
November trips can be treacherous, and the forecast was unnerving, 9-foot swells in the afternoon and gusts as strong as 40 miles per hour. But the 56-foot F/V Leonardo, its diesel engines groaning after a series of repairs, steamed out to fishing grounds 24 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard. It would not return, and three fishermen, Mark Cormier Jr., Gerald Bretal, and his step-son Xavier Vega, were never found. Ernesto Garcia, the lone survivor, was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter crew at dusk, about two hours after the ship capsized. >click to read< 07:33
Fishing Boat Sinks 24 off Vineyard – November 24, 2019. The fishing boat F/V Leonardo out of New Bedford sank Sunday afternoon 24 miles southwest of the Vineyard. 
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued one mariner from the vessel. A search and rescue operation is underway for three others. Sector Southeast New England received an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) signal at 3:18 pm, F/V Leonard, >click for 10 posts<
F/V Joanna C: Search for two missing Brixham fishermen is called off
HM Coastguard has confirmed that the search operation was called off this afternoon, November 22, at 2.30pm. The search began at 6am on November 21, when HM Coastguard received an EPIRB alert located three nautical miles off the coast at Seaford near Newhaven, from the EPIRB (emergency beacon) from the vessel. No further official information has been provided about the missing men who were on a 45 foot scalloping vessel, Joanna C sank when it sank off Newhaven in East Sussex yesterday. >click to read< 07:27 Former fisherman Tony Rowe, 40, of Brixham, was shocked to not only hear of the news but to discover the boat was one has previously owned, and has started a gofundme page, >click to donate< Prayers and wishes pour in for Brixham fishermen – >click to read<, Two day search for two fisherman missing at sea is called off after their ‘scallop wars’ boat sank off the Sussex coast – >click to read<
Distraught mum of missing ‘scallop wars’ fisherman desperate ‘for sea to give him back’ after ‘freak wave’ sank boat
HM Coastguard vessels, helicopters and RNLI lifeboats were scrambled around 6am after the F/V Joanna C sent an EPIRB alert,,, Huge searches have launched again today in a bid to find Mr. Morley and Adam Harper, 26. It’s claimed that Mr. Harper stayed with the stricken boat because he can’t swim. A third man, skipper Dave Bickerstaff, 34, was rescued from the water off East Sussex after the 45ft scallop vessel overturned. He was found holding onto a lifebuoy almost four hours after the tragedy off the coast of Seaford, near Newhaven. Mr Morley’s devastated mum Jackie Woolford says her son is believed to have lost hold of a safety ring he’d been clinging to with his friend.,,, The Joanna C was previously involved in the scallop wars, a long-standing dispute between Brit and French fishermen. >photos, video, Click to read< 15:45
‘It’s like a weight has been lifted’ – Family of Newfoundland Fisherman Isaac Kettle relieved his body was found
It wasn’t how they wanted to find him, but Isaac Kettle’s family is comforted in knowing that at least his body can finally come home. “This is the best, worst news we could get,” his wife, Kerri Lynn Kettle, said after hearing that a body found near Arnold’s Cove on the weekend is her husband’s. “But it was such a relief to know he’s finally coming home. It’s like a weight has been lifted.” Kettle, 33, was one of four St. Lawrence fishermen lost at sea aboard the Sarah Anne, a 36-foot fishing vessel, after it set out from their hometown to go crab fishing on May 25. >click to read< 09:00
After two weeks, the Coast Guard, and good Samaritan rescue 2 men – presumed lost at sea
The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan rescued two fishermen, Monday, who were presumed lost at sea, 23 miles northeast of Cat Island, Bahamas. Rescued were Domingo Jimenez, 45, and Ramon Castillo, 29, both from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders received a report from the good Samaritan vessel Signet Intruder crew reporting they were flagged down by two people in a vessel, who reported to have been adrift for approximately two weeks. The watchstanders directed the launch of an OPBAT Jayhawk helicopter crew to assist. “These two men were presumed lost at sea but were found and safely rescued because a good Samaritan spotted them,” Video, >click to read< 18:48
