Tragic Capsizing of Fishing Vessel Claims Lives of Skipper and Deckhand

The owner of the fishing vessel that capsized off Nova Scotia last week has identified the two crewmembers who tragically lost their lives while awaiting rescue. One of the victims was a highly experienced skipper with fifty years of experience. The Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Halifax received an EPIRB signal from the 18-meter fishing vessel Fortune Pride, located about 10 nautical miles southeast of Sambro, Nova Scotia. Despite difficult conditions including 12-foot swells, fog, and rain, rescue efforts were mobilized, resulting in the rescue of three survivors, one of whom later passed away.

The following day, a crewmember was found in a life raft but was unresponsive and later pronounced dead. The owner of the Fortune Pride released the names of the deceased crewmembers: skipper John Allen Baker and deckhand Phil MacInnis. The two other crewmembers have been released from the hospital in good physical health. The vessel was reportedly carrying about 20 tonnes of silver hake at the time of the capsizing, with the Transportation Safety Board now investigating the cause of the casualty.

John Allen Baker, the skipper of the Fortune Pride, was a well-known figure in Atlantic Canada’s fishing industry with a long history of experience on various fishing vessels. He had previously survived a sinking in 2013 while serving as skipper aboard another vessel. Despite the tragic events, Baker’s resilience and dedication to his work were evident, making him a local legend in Nova Scotia’s fisheries. His recovery of a lost wallet from a previous sinking added to his reputation for overcoming adversity at sea.

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