VICTORIA The Royal Canadian Navy says a sailor missing off the coast of California went overboard in four- to five-metre seas Monday morning. Master Sailor Duane Earle was last seen aboard HMCS Winnipeg around 5 a.m. local time, according to Commodore Angus Topshee, commander of the Canadian Pacific fleet. Earle failed to attend a meeting scheduled for 12:30 p.m., leading shipmates to believe he accidentally went overboard, Topshee said Tuesday from Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. The chain of command immediately conducted a muster of the ship s company and two rapid searches of the ship, Topshee said. The search for the missing sailor is ongoing and is being orchestrated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in California.
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This has been an incredibly hard year for members of the @CanadianForces. We owe so much to the brave women and men who serve - and in these times of sadness, we must stand with each other. We are with you, and we will never forget those who we’ve lost. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 16, 2020
The search was called off Tuesday evening, Maritime Forces Pacific said in a statement early Wednesday.
“Sadly, he has not been found,” the statement said.
Rear-Admiral Brian Santarpia said the decision was not taken lightly.
“However, after extensive coverage of the search area we have not been able to locate him,” Santarpia said in a statement.
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The search for Missing Sailor from HMCS Winnipeg has concluded
Esquimalt, B.C. – NEWs – The Canadian Armed Forces report that the active search for Master Sailor Duane Earle, deployed in Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Winnipeg, has concluded at 5:37 pm Pacific Standard Time (8:37 pm Eastern Standard Time). Sadly, he has not been found.
Master Sailor Earle’s next of kin have been notified and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are providing his family with the support needed to help them through this difficult time. His family is currently in their grieving process as a result of this tragic loss. Therefore, they are asking the media to respect their privacy during this very difficult time.
PRAY: Winnipeg sailor missing at sea Written by Mike Thom Tuesday, Dec 15 2020, 5:32 AM Left: Master Sailor Duane Earle. The HMCS Winnipeg was returning to British Columbia after being deployed on two operations. (It s a Thing Imagery/Facebook)
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A desperate search is underway in the Pacific Ocean for a Winnipegger who has gone missing during a naval deployment.
Missing is Master Sailor Duane Earle, a Boatswain, from Winnipeg, who was onboard the HMCS Winnipeg in the sea west of San Francisco.
The Department of National Defence says in a release that details are still being determined, but it is believed he accidentally fell overboard very early on December 14, while the ship was approximately 500 nautical miles west of San Francisco, California, en route back to Esquimalt after being deployed to the Asia-Pacific region on Operations PROJECTION and NEON.