Five people have been reportedly rescued off Newfoundland coast during a fierce storm.
What happened?
On Sunday, Captain Brian Anstey and his crew were rescued about 150 nautical miles northeast of St. John’s, amid a fierce winter storm that dumped upwards of 70 cm of snow on parts of Newfoundland. By the time it reached the fishing vessel Northern Provider, the system packed winds of 110 km/h and was generating waves up to 10 metres high.
“I’ve had some rough times,” Captain Brian Anstey told Global News, “but nothing like this. I have never seen it rough enough where I got to leave my boat.”
Rescued by chopper:
The vessel sent out a distress call after conditions reached what Anstey called the worst he’d experience in more than 30 years of fishing.
The captain said he’d initially hoped for a coast guard ship but, upon hearing it would be eight hours before one could get there, requested a helicopter instead
The helicopter crew, dispatched by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), judged it too dangerous to take the men directly off the boat, meaning each of the stranded sailors had to jump into the water to be rescued instead.
Video posted:
The JRCC released dramatic video of the rescue on Sunday, showing the helicopter hovering above the boat as the rescues were hoisted up one by one.
The vessel itself is still adrift as winds were still too high on Monday to risk putting someone aboard. Anstey, who is also the owner of the boat, was hopeful they might be able to get the boat back, but it remains to be seen whether he and his crew will be back on the waves before the fishing season ends.
Whatever the fate of the vessel, he’s happy with the outcome of the dangerous situation.
“That’s the main thing,” Anstey told Global News, “everybody came out of it good.”
To watch video, please click here
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Source: The Weather Network
