Scallop boat, crew missing off Nova Scotia coast; debris and empty life-rafts spotted

Military aircraft and coast guard vessels are searching off the coast of southwestern Nova Scotia after a scallop boat was reported to have gone down in rough seas and empty life-rafts washed up on shore.

Lt.-Cmdr. Brian Owens of the search and rescue co-ordination centre in Halifax says an emergency signal was received at 5:50 a.m. Tuesday from the boat off Delaps Cove, N.S., about 40 kilometres northeast of Digby.

The rescue centre says debris was spotted on the water at 8:22 a.m.

A Cormorant helicopter and a Hercules aircraft were dispatched from Greenwood, N.S., but as of noon local time there was no word of any survivors being found.

"Debris was spotted from the air and two reports of life-rafts washed ashore were made and, upon investigation by the helicopter crew, it was determined there was nobody on board these life-rafts," said Owens.

He says the military was still getting in touch with next of kin to determine how many people were on board.

Alain d'Entremont, president of the Full Bay Scallop Association, confirmed that the boat is owned by Yarmouth Sea Products, which is a member of the association.

D'Entremont said the 15-metre scallop dragger was on its way to Digby when it "seemed to have sunk .... As far as I'm aware none of the crew are accounted for."

"As a vessel owner myself, you go to bed at night thinking about the men who are out on the water. It's something you think about all the time, and you hate to hear about it."

He said it's hard to describe the sadness in the fishing community as they await the outcome of the search.

"We're hoping there's a chance they made it ashore. They weren't too far off shore, and if they had survival suits on, there are boats and helicopters and coast guard assets in the area," he said.

However, d'Entremont said some of his boats participated in the search and described "miserable" conditions at sea.

"They did some limited search, but the helicopters are going to cover a lot more ground," he said.

Roger LeBlanc, a member of the Maritime Fishermen's Union and lobster fisherman based out of nearby Meteghan, N.S., said winds overnight were fierce.

"The seas are high today, the currents are running high, it's the highest tides of the year, really and there's a lot of currents," he said. "Anything can happen."