A dramatic rescue in rough waters involving a fishing trawler based out of Riverport.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax confirmed after a mayday call was issued due to a fire onboard the vessel most of the 31 crew members were lifted off the Atlantic Destiny around midnight.
The vessel was adrift roughly 120 nautical miles south of Yarmouth after it lost power in rough seas.
The mayday call regarding a fire on the boat was made around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.
JRCC spokesperson Brian Owens says non essential crew were taken off the ship and transported to Yarmouth for the night.
Rescue crews battled brutal weather conditions with winds blowing at 55 knots and 8 metre seas.
Our CH149 Cormorant from 14 Wing Greenwood has commenced extracting non-essential crew from the vessel. The USCG Helo is also on station and will recover additional personnel. All evacuated crew will be flown to Yarmouth, NS.
— HfxJRCC_CCCOS (@hfxjrcc) March 3, 2021
A Hercules chopper from 14 Wing Greenwood and CH149 Cormorant responded along with the U.S. Coast Guard.
Fishing vessels Cape LaHave and Maude Adams are in the area providing support and the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Cape Roger is enroute.
The owner of the Atlantic Destiny, Ocean Choice International Fisheries, has contacted family of the crew and is keeping them updated on the situation.
In a release, the company states they are focused on getting all crew members safely back to shore to their families.
The Atlantic Destiny is one of Ocean Choice’s six offshore fishing vessels.
The vessel harvests frozen at sea scallops; and Riverport is the port of call for the vessel.
