The Search For A Canadian Sailor Missing Off The Coast Of California Has Been Called Off
The search for the missing sailor from Canada has officially concluded but he was not found after falling overboard the HMCS Winnipeg.
On Twitter, Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan confirmed the news on December 16 and offered his condolences to Master Sailor Duane Earle's loved ones.
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It is with a heavy heart that the search for Master Sailor Duane Earle has concluded.
Harjit Sajjan
Canada's Maritime Forces Pacific shared on Twitter that the active search for Earle was concluded at 5:37 p.m. PT despite him not being found.
"Our hearts remain with his loved ones," the forces said.
Justin Trudeau also responded to the situation saying it has "has been an incredibly hard year for members of the Canadian Forces."
"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," he added.
The search for Earle was conducted both by air and by sea for 30 hours with about 2,000 nautical miles looked at.
The ship and its crew are now on the way back to B.C., which is their final destination after being deployed in the Asia-Pacific region.
It's believed that Earle fell overboard accidentally early in the morning of December 14 west of San Francisco and wasn't identified as missing until later in the day.
The Canadian Armed Forces will be doing an investigation into how he went missing.