A Shelburne County lobster boat captain died after he was pulled overboard about 16 nautical miles south of Clarks Harbour.
Unforeseen tragedy on the water
According to Barrington RCMP, the man, Larry Wayne Sears, 64-years old of Shag Harbour was hauling lobster pots along with 2 crew members when the trawl line became ensnarled in the hauler. As the man tried to clear the line, he was pulled overboard.
The man was wearing a personal floatation device but was severely entangled in rope and was pulled from the water by the crew of another fishing boat which arrived on the scene after its crew heard the call for help on the radio.
The search and rescue technicians from the Clarks Harbour performed CPR and were assisted by the SAR techs who were lowered from a Cormorant helicopter.
At the time of the incident, there were seas of 3-4 meters and winds of more than 25 knots that disrupted the search and rescue crews.
Despite the revival attempts on the man, Sears was declared dead shortly after the vessel arrived in West Head.
The Department of Labour and Advanced Education and the Transportation Safety Board were requested to assist with the investigation. The RCMP did not suspect any foul play.
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