NS-CAPE-BRETON-L Archives

From: Vincent and Suzanne MacNeil <>
Subject: [NS-CB-L] COASTAL FREIGHTER SINKS ; FIVE CREW MEMBERS DEAD OFF SCATARI
Date: Thu, 07 Nov 2002 08:48:58 -0500

Hello everyone,
Roderick Joseph mentioned below was the son of Dan Joe "Ferryman"
page 184 History of Christmas Island and Katie MacNeil (Johnnie Ban) #22
All Call Iona Home. Anyone connected? Vince

COASTAL FREIGHTER SINKS; FIVE CREW MEMBERS DEAD OFF SCATARI
Skipper's Son Lone Survivor

A Grand Narrows, Cape Breton native, who never went to sea before,
was
one of five persons who perished Sunday when a former Newfoundland
freighter broke-up and sank in the storm-ridden waters off Scatari
Island.
Relatives of Rod MacNeil, 25, were at dockside in North Sydney late
last night
when his body, along with two others, were taken a shore from an East
German
fishing trawler.
Shortly after an uncle and two cousins made positive identification
of the
drowing victim at St. Elizabeth Hospital. Personal belongings of the
Cape
Breton native were also brought ashore with the body.
The other two victims, natives of Montreal, were still not
identified early today.
Only one survivor of the sinking was Ian MacGinness, young son of
the
skipper, Capt. E. E. MacGinness, who was lost in the sinking. Other
victim was
John A. Parlee of Montreal, owner of the ship, the Thomas J. Hodder.
The wooden, 90-foot vessel, was purchased at St. John's and was
sailing for
Savannagh, Ga., when she ran into a fierce gale which came up along the
Nova
Scotia coast Saturday night.
Walter MacNeil of Grove Street, Sydney, first cousin of the Grand
Narrows
victim , said he had been employed in a service station owned by Parlee
in
Montreal. When the station was sold MacNeil agreed to go to
Newfoundland and
sail with him to Florida.
Also at dockside was Larry MacNeil of Prince Street, Sydney and an
aunt and
uncle of the victim. Mr. and Mrs. Mike MacNeil, Castle Drive, Sydney.
Mr.
MacNeil is chief engineer on the CN Ferry Ambrose Shea.
The Herbert Baum brought the bodies into North Sydney. Ashore
there was
hope at least two of them might still be alive.
Dr. D. W. MacKnight of North Sydney went out on the harbour pilots'
boat to
meet the trawler inside Low Point.
He said all three were dead when he first examined them. The water
was
about 37 degrees and it would be difficult for anyone to survive such
conditions.
Relatives said that MacNeil, who apparently was a non-swimmer, must
have
been attracted by the offer to travel South.
He is the son of the late Capt. D.J. MacNeil, former captain of the
Grand
Narrows ferry. His mother, a brother and two sisters reside in
Montreal, Another
brother lives in St. John's, Newfoundland. He had been in contact with
relatives
in Sydney and they knew he was aboard the freighter when it sank.
At least a half dozen nearby ships, including three CNR ferries,
were pressed
into the sea search throughout Sunday and into the night hours.
Reports from the waterfront last night were that the first SOS
message from
the ill-fated freighter gave an inaccurate position. This had to be
corrected by
the Search and Rescue aircraft which went out from Canadian Forces Base
at
Summerside.
The owner of the ship, built in 1939, planned to convert the ship
into a yacht
when he reached Georgia.
The CN ferry Patrick Morris found the body of the owner, who was
formerly
of Saint John, N.B.
Two other CN ferries, the Ambrose Shea and the Frederick Carter,
were also
involved in the search.
The ship issued its first distress message at 10:20 a.m. saying
those aboard
would probably have to take to the boats.
Five minutes later the next message said the vessel was taking in
water
through broken seams, but the lifeboats were okay.
The last message received from Capt. MacGinness was short: "Both
lifeboats
gone. Unable to stay afloat. Wonder when assistance coming."

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• [NS-CB-L] COASTAL FREIGHTER SINKS ; FIVE CREW MEMBERS DEAD OFF SCATARI by Vincent and Suzanne MacNeil <>