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Coast Guard says multiple ships responding.
Two people are dead following the sinking of a boat off the northeast coast of Newfoundland, according to the RCMP.
One person has been rescued and one is still missing, the force said Wednesday morning.
The bodies of the dead have been recovered, according to a spokesperson for the police. The search for the missing person is ongoing, with several search and rescue assets in the area.
The four are believed to be from the small towns of Fleur de Lys and Coachman’s Cove, on Newfoundland’s Baie Verte Peninsula, according to the local parish priest, Camillus Ekodobe.
The boat went down off Fleur de Lys on Tuesday evening.
Jackie Walsh, the town’s clerk, said it was a smaller vessel, “more of a speedboat.”
Canadian Coast Guard vessels CCGS Earl Grey, CCGS Conception Bay and the CCGS Pennant Bay are in the area to aid in the search and rescue efforts.
A Canadian Forces Cormorant helicopter was pulled off the search due to fog on Wednesday morning but was expected to return later in the morning.
Local vessels have also been helping in the response.
Priest describes dramatic scene
Ekodobe, a Roman Catholic priest, was en route to Fleur de Lys on Tuesday evening for a wake. When he arrived at the church, he was surprised to find it already half full. That’s when he learned of the sunken boat, and the rescue mission that was ongoing.
“You could feel the grief in the air. It was like a cold chill in the air for everybody,” he said Wednesday morning.
The wake was cancelled as people used the church while they waited for word on the fate of the four people on board.
“It was so bad for everybody. They were so sad,” Ekodobe said. “It was so unbearable.”
He said everyone is hoping for a positive outcome for the missing individual, despite the odds being stacked against them.
“Let it turn to good. Let it turn to good. That’s what everybody is praying for.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ryan Cooke is a multiplatform journalist with CBC News in St. John’s. His work often takes a deeper look at social issues and the human impact of public policy. Originally from rural Newfoundland, he attended the University of Prince Edward Island and worked for newspapers throughout Atlantic Canada before joining CBC in 2016. He can be reached at ryan.cooke@cbc.ca.
With files from Mike Moore, Bernice Hillier and CBC Newfoundland Morning
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Credit belongs to : www.cbc.ca
