MORRIS ISLAND, N.S. — You can hear generators at the search and rescue command post. The sound of traffic driving through this rural community. But it’s the rumble of the Cormorant helicopter puncturing the otherwise stillness in the air – as it hovers or makes repeated passes overhead – that cuts through people’s hearts and thoughts in this part of Yarmouth County.
In a part of the province that has seen much tragedy during the past four weeks comes more anxiety, heartbreak and waiting.
A search for a missing person that started Tuesday, Jan. 12 – following a report of a possible capsized canoe – continued Wednesday in the Yarmouth County rural communities of Surette’s Island and Morris Island in the Municipality of Argyle. Just after 9 p.m. that evening, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) announced that its search was being suspended and the incident was being turned over to the RCMP as a missing-person case. The RCMP will take over coordination of the search.
According to a tweet posted on Twitter on Tuesday evening by the JRCC, a person – said to be connected to the missing person – was located deceased along the shoreline.
At 1424 AST, JRCC Halifax received a call from NS RCMP indicating that there was a missing person in the water in vicinity of Morris Island. A second person was found deceased along the shoreline and is connected to the missing person.
— HfxJRCC_CCCOS (@hfxjrcc) January 13, 2021
The RCMP later said in a mid-afternoon Jan. 13 media release that the search is for 69-year-old Kenneth Peter Surette, who was seen travelling in a canoe on Sunday, Jan. 10 at approximately 11 a.m. Shortly after 12 p.m. on Jan. 12, the Yarmouth RCMP received a report of a deceased woman on the shoreline of Morris Island. "Upon initial investigation, the deceased individual was identified and believed to be associated to Kenneth Surette. It is believed the two had been travelling together in a canoe," reads the RCMP's media release.
The name and age of the deceased woman was not released.
The family later confirmed the woman found was Surette's wife Noreen.
Assisting in the search
Aside from the CH-149 Cormorant helicopter from 14 Wing Greenwood, other assets aiding in the search have included a CH-130 Hercules aircraft and a PAL aircraft. The RCMP are on scene and on Wednesday morning the Yarmouth County Ground Search and Rescue Team set up a command post in the parking lot across from the Club Social des Iles community hall in Surette’s Island, as it joined in the search.
The ground search zone spans approximately 15 kilometres, said the RCMP, and includes the shoreline of the mainland and areas of the communities of Surette’s Island and Morris Island. The RCMP asked the public to avoid the shoreline area while the search was ongoing.
The Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office (EMO), DFO, the Coast Guard and the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team (URT) are also assisting in the search effort.
Local residents have said to be be offering skiffs and boats to aid in the search.
"Further information will follow as the investigation progresses," said the RCMP Wednesday afternoon. "Criminality is not suspected at this time."
Shortly before 9 a.m. on Jan. 13, the RCMP said it was informed by JRCC that a canoe had been located in the water between Surette’s Island and Morris Island.
Mid-morning the canoe was strapped on the back of a flatback truck that drove past the seach and rescue command post.
Following a full day of searching on Jan. 13, JRCC issued a tweet that read: "Based on the results of the search over the last 26+ hours, the search for the missing person has been suspended. Our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to the family, friends and community. The case will now be turned over to th RCMP as a missing persons case."
The RCMP and ground search and rescue teams continued to search on Thursday. They were also assisted by DFO who helped to transport searchers to islands.
Based on the results of the search over the last 26+ hours, the search for the missing person has been suspended. Our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and community. The case will now be turned over to the RCMP as a missing persons case.
— HfxJRCC_CCCOS (@hfxjrcc) January 13, 2021
Community pulling together
Guy Surette, the municipal councillor for the area, was at the community hall Wednesday, helping others to co-ordinate the community support that’s being extended to searches and family members.
Surette knows the people at the centre of the search. The woman, he said, had been a member of the Surette's Island club. About the missing man, Surette said he had just spoken with him two Sundays ago outside of church, where they talked and joked.
Surette said on Tuesday he had been standing with a group of people, watching what was unfolding in disbelief. Looking at the faces of those surrounding him, he said you could see two things – the pain and the weight from the search effort underway.
“It was in everybody’s face,” he said. “I’ve never seen that, where everybody is standing together and nobody is talking. And then everybody is talking. And then you’re not saying anything.”
On Wednesday morning, Surette was swept up with emotion of another sort, which came from seeing the response of the community to what was happening.
“It’s just amazing. The food that people are dropping off at the club. The fire department’s ladies auxiliary, the events committee of the club, have been pitching in to organize where the food goes. We were here at 7 this morning,” he said.
“We’re in the process of putting a handicapped bathroom in the club and it’s under construction. The ladies jumped in last night and were here until almost 10 o’clock cleaning the hall so that people could sit down. It was all full of sawdust,” he said.
“It’s all part of the community coming together.”
The ongoing search
Lieut.-Commander Brian Owens, with the Halifax Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, said they first became aware of the incident after a person connected to the two individuals contacted the RCMP, who in turn contacted JRCC.
Throughout Tuesday evening you could hear aircrafts flying overhead.
“The search continued throughout the evening and overnight and into today,” Owens said Wednesday morning. “All assets are still searching.”
The communities where the search is taking place is about a 25-minute drive outside of the Town of Yarmouth. The search area involves tidal waters that span a large area.
A tough few weeks
Argyle-Barrington MLA Colton LeBlanc was also at the Surette’s Island community hall Wednesday morning and spoke of the support from the community, coupled with the sadness of another terrible incident coming so closely on the heels of other recent ones in Yarmouth County.
People in Yarmouth County continue to search for Zack Lefave, a young man missing since Jan. 1, who was last seen walking on Highway 334 in Plymouth at about 12:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day. He was 20 at the time he went missing. His 21st birthday was Jan. 3.
A month ago the scallop dragger Chief William Saulis went missing in the Bay of Fundy with six fishermen onboard. The body of one fisherman, Michael Drake, was recovered on Dec. 15 but the search has gone on for the other five – Charles Roberts, Aaron Cogswell, Daniel Forbes, Geno Francis and Leonard Gabriel – who all have family and ties in Yarmouth County. The search for the vessel also continues.
And now this, LeBlanc said.
“This is another devastating incident that’s impacting our community,” he said. “Our region and our province (have) suffered a lot last year and I think a lot of people were looking forward to a much more optimistic new year. Sadly, our communities have been faced with tragedies the first couple of weeks here.
“But our communities continue to rally together in times of need. It’s encouraging and it’s inspiring. It’s nice to see the co-ordinated efforts that are taking place here,” he added. “There’s been a number of food items dropped off to support the local efforts of the community volunteers, the ground search and rescue and other responding agencies. It’s been non-stop.”
Complicating matters, of course, is COVID-19, but pandemic protocols are being observed. Hand sanitizers are everywhere. People are wearing masks. And social distancing is being observed as much as it can be.
“It is an eerie sight for community members, seeing the Cormorant as it searches and hovers. That’s been a resounding comment,” said LeBlanc. “You see it on TV. You see it on the water. But to see it over a small community, it’s not the norm.”
“In small rural communities like this, everybody knows everybody,” LeBlanc added. “There’s a lot of people that knew them and had different relationships with them so everybody is hurting right now.”
Because of that, Surette and LeBlanc said the community support and kindness is comforting and appreciated.
“I can’t get over the feeling and the emotions I’ve got watching the people coming in and saying, ‘What do you need? We’re here,’” said Surette. “They’re offering support and assistance. People come together. We do it for the family.”
