The hunt for a missing crew member onboard the CCGS Vincent Massey has reportedly come to an end, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.
Émilie Proteau-Beaulieu, a spokesman for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, released a statement on Monday, September 16, 2024, at 8:15 a.m., when the vessel docked in St. John’s, Newfoundland. It is believed that the crew member fell overboard from the icebreaker vessel off the northeast coast of Newfoundland.
A comprehensive search operation involving planes, Canadian Coast Guard vessels, and other federal vessels began, but ultimately proved fruitless. Tuesday afternoon saw the official cancellation of the search.
An inquiry into the occurrence will now be underway by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
CCG Converted to a medium-class icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard. Vincent Massey was originally an icebreaking anchor-handling tug supply vessel (AHTS). She was first constructed in 2000 as Tor Viking for Trans Viking Icebreaking & Offshore AS. After a renovation, the ship was originally scheduled to go into service in the summer of 2020, however, it was sold to Canada in 2018. Nevertheless, due to delays in the conversion process, the ship was handed to the Canadian Coast Guard in October 2022 and put into service in September 2023.