All crew of the Atlantic Destiny safely transferred from the vessel

March 3, 2021

All 32 crew of the Atlantic Destiny, Ocean Choice’s offshore fishing vessel that issued a mayday reporting a fire onboard late last evening have been safely transferred from the vessel.

The fire onboard the vessel has been extinguished and all 32 crew members are safe and accounted for. A total of 28 crew members were safely taken via helicopter to Yarmouth where they received medical attention, food and accommodations. At approximately 8:00 a.m. the final four crew members and two Search and Rescue technicians, who stayed with the remaining crew, were safely transferred from the vessel via the Canadian Coast Guard vessel the Cape Roger and are enroute to Shelburne.

“The safety of our employees is our top priority. It is what matters most to us,” said Martin Sullivan, CEO Ocean Choice. “Our hearts are with our crew and their families at this extremely stressful time. We are extremely grateful that there were no injuries resulting from the fire; and that all 32 crew members are returning safely to their families and loved ones.”

The Canadian and United States Coast Guards as well as several offshore fishing vessels including the Cape LaHave, Maude Adams, Atlantic Preserver and the Atlantic Protector came to the aid of the crew.

“The collective efforts of our crew and all those who came to assist the crew and the vessel resulted in the best possible outcome for this situation,” said Blaine Sullivan, President, Ocean Choice. “We are sincerely thankful to everyone that helped ensure that every single crew member is safe and accounted for.”

Since being notified of the fire, Ocean Choice has provided family members with updates on the ongoing situation and status of their loved ones. The Company has made arrangements to provide the crew and their families with free access to support and counselling services.

Ocean Choice will work with the proper authorities and an investigation into the cause of the fire will commence over the coming days. At this time, the Company is unsure of the extent of the damage of the vessel.
The Atlantic Destiny is one of Ocean Choice’s six offshore fishing vessels. The vessel harvests frozen at sea scallops; and Riverport, Nova Scotia is the port of call for the vessel. At the time of the incident the vessel was in the George’s Bank area.

Media Contact:
Cara Pike, Director, Communications and Marketing, Ocean Choice
C: (709) 685-9290 E: cpike@oceanchoice.com