Search efforts for a man lost at sea when a fishing vessel went down off the coast of Fleur de Lys Tuesday afternoon has been called off by the Canadian Coast Guard.
An extensive search effort was carried out, involving the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Canadian Forces Aircraft, and local vessels.
The Coast Guard says the decision to call off the search was not taken lightly.
The situation is now a recovery operation, with responsibility being transferred to the RCMP. They are continuing the search, which is classified now as a missing persons case.
They are on site with a dive team, and the Coast Guard ship Earl Grey is on scene to assist.
Meanwhile, more details are now available about the initial rescue operation that was carried out.
One man was rescued when the boat went down on Tuesday, while the bodies of two others were recovered from the water.
Mark Gould, Deputy Superintendent for Maritime SAR, says the initial effort was carried out by another vessel that was nearby.
He says that boat came upon the scene and rescued the man and recovered the two bodies. The distress signal went out after that and the Coast Guard was notified.
The tragedy has left people in the region reeling.
Keith Bath, a fisherman and seal harvester from the area, knew those on board very well.
He spoke before the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans yesterday, and was emotional about being so far from home as the tragedy unfolded.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” he tearfully told reporters.