Fishing vessel in distress off Frobisher Bay: all nine crew rescued

A CP-140 reported shortly before 5 p.m. ET that it had sighted individuals in a life-raft who abandoned their vessel, the Atlantic Charger, in distress 400 kilometres southeast of Iqaluit. (PHOTO COURTESY OF DND)

(Updated at 10:40 p.m.)

Following a search and rescue operation near Iqaluit, all nine crew members from the Atlantic Charger who abandoned ship and jumped into a life-raft were picked up late Sept. 21 by the Greenlandic fishing vessel Paamiut.

The Atlantic Charger, a $2.3 million, 68.5-foot hi-tech trawler from Newfoundland, had started taking on water earlier in the day, triggering a search operation in which Aurora, Hercules and Cormorant aircraft, the Coast Guard icebreaker Des Groseilliers and other vessels headed for a spot near Resolution Island at the mouth of Frobisher Bay about 400 km southeast of Iqaluit.

A #413Sqn @RCAF_ARC Hercules remains on scene as @CCG_GCC, @RCN_MRC and civilian vessels continue to converge. #SARPartners

— JTF Atlantic (@JTFAtlantic) September 22, 2015

The crew of a Hercules aircraft from the RCAF’s 413 squadron dropped a radio to the crew members, who awaited pick-up from a nearby ship.

At about 9:50 p.m., JTFA said the MV Arctic, a bulk ore carrier owned by FedNav, had come alongside the life raft and was attempting to rescue the crew.

But another trawler, the Danish-built Paamiut from Greenland, picked them up at around 10:40 p.m. The JFTA said it was “happy to announce that all nine crew members have been rescued and are safely aboard FV Paamiut.”

All crew members are now safe and in good health, Joint Task Force Atlantic reported.

#JRCCHalifax is happy to announce that all nine crew members have been rescued and are safely aboard FV Pamiut.

— JTF Atlantic (@JTFAtlantic) September 22, 2015

The rescue operation took place as strong winds that may cause damage are expected or occurring in the area tomorrow, Environment Canada’s forecast says.

A low pressure system is also forecast to track into Hudson Bay and intensify into a strong fall storm that affect much of southern Baffin Island Tuesday.

Strong easterly winds of 70 kilometres an hour gusting to 90 km/hr will spread across the area, accompanied by wet snow and rain.

The Atlantic Charger was launched in July 2013 and at the time was described in a local newspaper as “the most technologically advanced boat in eastern Canada.”

It was also the subject of a documentary on the CBC Atlantic program Land and Sea.

(More details to come)