By Andrew Bates, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Police say that a man was found dead after officers responded to a call for help off the shore of Grand Manan on Feb. 19.
RCMP Cpl. Jayson Hansen told Brunswick News that officers responded to a call for help just before 9:30 p.m. Feb. 19 on the Grand Manan shoreline near Marsh Road in the Castalia Marsh area.
They found two people submerged, one person who was able to be resuscitated and one who had died, likely due to exposure, Hansen said.
Police are still awaiting the results of an autopsy, but there is no suspicion of foul play, Hansen said.
The deceased person was a 39-year-old male Grand Manan resident, Hansen said. The other person recovered was taken to hospital and has made a full recovery, he said.
Hansen said the pair were catching periwinkle snails and described it as a “unfortunate accident out on the water,” adding later that there was “no indication they were involved in commercial operations.”
In a Facebook post, Casey Benson, CEO of Benson Lobster, said one employee had “tragically passed away” and another was in stable condition. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to support the affected families, which said the family of the deceased employee is working to come to Canada from Nepal to retrieve his remains.
“This has been a deeply difficult time for our employees, especially for those who came here from abroad to work and build a better future for their families,” Benson wrote in the post. “We are focused on supporting them through this loss.”
Reached by email, Benson said the company was not making official statements at this time.
