WOODS HARBOUR, N.S. – About 500 people gathered at a church in southwest Nova Scotia Sunday to grieve the loss of five young fishermen from the community.
Pastor Phil Williams spoke at the Calvary United Baptist church in Woods Harbour and urged the residents of the small fishing village to support one another.
Families of the men aboard the Miss Ally when it capsized last Sunday sat in several rows at the front of the church, hugging each other and crying as church members sang and prayed.
RCMP said a remote underwater vehicle confirmed Sunday that no bodies were aboard the 13-metre overturned vessel, which was found about 240 kilometres southeast of Halifax on Saturday.
Supt. Sylvie Bourassa-Muise said the HMCS Glace Bay conducted an assessment with a remotely operated vehicle and verified reports from divers on a private fishing vessel.
“The imagery confirms what the local fisherman had found yesterday, that the wheelhouse and sleeping quarters are not attached and that no bodies are inside,” said Bourassa-Muise on Sunday.
The vessel, which was located about 45 kilometres from its last known position, sustained significant damage, RCMP said.
The Mounties said their air, water and ground search activities would conclude Sunday.
The Miss Ally, which was on an extended halibut fishing trip, was last spotted by the Canadian Coast Guard on Tuesday.
After the search for survivors was called off, the families of the fishermen asked federal authorities to recover the overturned vessel to determine if there were bodies inside.
.jpg){kind=small}
