Justice Minister Darin King has issued a statement regarding a tragic incident in the Hawke’s Bay region of the Northern Peninsula Thursday in which a wildlife officer fell through the ice while on patrol.
“I was deeply saddened to learn yesterday of the death of one of our long-serving officers with the Fish and Wildlife Division on the Northern Peninsula. I offer my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues," the minister said. "He was a well-known and respected member of the community and he will be dearly missed. We are offering all the supports we have at our disposal in assisting those affected by what happened, including the other two officers who were on the scene at the time.
King said incidents like this "remind us that many of our employees carry out very important work on behalf of the province in roles that are inherently risky. The dedication shown by this individual over the years towards his duties is evidence of this."
Investigations into this incident are underway and King said the department will not be commenting further until they are completed.
... Earlier story ....
The Port Saunders RCMP is continuing a recovery operation for a missing fish and wildlife enforcement officer who is presumed dead he went through the ice while on patrol with two other officers about 3 p.m. Thursday on the Northern Peninsula.
Fire and Emergency Services NL and the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre were involved in the search.
A helicopter from 103 Squadron in Gander flew to assist in the search. Air and ground searches were completed last night.
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Earlier story from The Canadian Press
HAWKES BAY, N.L. — RCMP say they are looking for the body of a Newfoundland and Labrador wildlife officer after the person plunged through the ice on Thursday while on patrol.
Sgt. Marc Coulombe says an initial rescue effort has shifted to an operation “to recover the deceased.”
He says the officer was walking on ice with two other officers south of Hawke’s Bay on the Northern Peninsula when the incident occurred.
He says two of the officers managed to crawl out of the ice and then attempted unsuccessfully to locate the third.
Coulombe says that RCMP and wildlife employees continued the search through the night.
