The lawyer for the family of Burton Winters says there are still many questions about search and rescue, generally speaking, which have to be answered.
Premier Dwight Ball has announced an inquiry into Ground Search and Rescue for Lost and Missing Persons in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Judge James Igoliorte, who’s originally from Hopedale, will head the inquiry for which the Terms of Reference have not yet been established.
Fourteen-year-old Burton Winters died on the ice outside Makkovik when his snowmobile became stuck. He had walked 19-km before succumbing to the elements.
(Pictured: Burton Winters, and a sign created for a vigil in 2012.)
It was a tragedy that gripped the province, and led to many questions about jurisdiction and search and rescue response time.
Premier Ball says many improvements have been made in search and rescue protocol and capabilities since 2012.
Even though it has been eight years, lawyer Tom Williams points to recent incidents as confirmation that the inquiry is necessary.
He mentions the deaths of four fishermen out of St. Lawrence in May and the loss of a fisherman on the Northern Peninsula this week. He’s confident that there will be some focus on the Burton Winters case during the inquiry.
