'It can't just be an anniversary': Calls for change continue 1 year after fishermen die off Labrador coast
CBC
It's been one year since fishermen Marc Russell and Joey Jenkins left the wharf in Mary's Harbour to gather their nets for the last time.
The two fishermen died off the southern coast of Labrador on Sept. 17 of last year. Their fishing vessel, the Island Lady, was last seen in the afternoon. No distress calls were received.
"It can't just be an anniversary, briefly. Something more needs to come out of it. No other family should have to grieve like this," said Niki Greeley, a Lodge Bay resident and Jenkins's common-law partner.
Greeley describes Jenkins as a kind, compassionate and caring person with a dry sense of humour.
"I've never met anybody that could give you a bad word about him. And that's probably the hardest part," Greeley said, "is why someone so good, so honestly and truly good, had to be taken in such a tragic way."
The search on Sept. 17 last year started after Russell's father noticed his son wasn't on social media as usual that Friday night. His father called around and found out the boat wasn't back at the wharf.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre called off the search and rescue mission after 48 hours and turned it over to the RCMP for a recovery mission. The family contends that was the wrong call, as fog had hindered search efforts that weekend.
After pressure from the family, the military and coast guard continued to aid in the RCMP's recovery mission.
"During a very vulnerable time in our lives we were having to strap up our laces and advocate for ourselves," said Jeanette Russell, Marc Russell's mother.
Jeanette said the family not only had to deal with losing a child, but also fight for first responders to keep looking for the men.
"The Canadian Rangers and the Coast Guard Auxiliary were never ever formally deployed in the search for Marc and Joey. Why [were they] not? Why did the Marine Rescue Centre not make that call?" Jeanette asks.
Losing Marc and Jenkins initiated a conversation that should have occurred long ago, according to Jeanette, who believes it's unfortunate it took another tragedy after Burton Winters went missing off the coast of Labrador 10 years ago to get deficiencies addressed.
A year later, while she pushes for change, she's still grappling with grief.
"We've lost a beautiful person and nothing can ever replace that, but you just hold in your heart the privilege of having known him. And if I had to choose, I'd choose to do it all again because just for the joy of having had him in my life," Jeanette said.