Search for missing kayaker continues in Shediac area
34-year-old Luc Bourgeois was last seen Thursday afternoon after departing on solo fishing trip
Luc Bourgeois departed in a kayak from the Pointe-du-Chêne wharf near Shediac around 1 p.m. on Thursday and then disappeared.
His family says he was going to fish for mackerel, something Bourgeois has done a few times already this summer. He set out with a life-jacket, cellphone and fishing rod from the wharf's boat launch on the Northumberland Strait .
Bourgeois, 34, was reported missing about two hours later, when he failed to return to shore, according to New Brunswick RCMP.
"He would've been last seen off the waters of Shediac somewhere between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.," Cpl. Andrew Paynter said. "When he didn't return … his family became concerned."
Bourgeois is described as being about five feet six inches tall and 170 pounds, with long curly brown hair, a beard and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black shorts, a blue and grey life-jacket, a Bass Pro Shops hat, sunglasses and black Under Armour sandals, according to police.
Police say they have followed up on several leads but haven't been successful.
Searching land and sea
Bourgeois's family remained optimistic he will be found safely. His cousin, 22-year-old Chloé Allain, said his kayak was found along with his phone and life-jacket, but there was no sign of Bourgeois himself.
On Friday, Tri-County Ground Search and Rescue volunteers were called, setting up a command base at the Caissie Cape wharf, a few kilometres west of where Bourgeois was last seen.
"We were called at 10 this morning and we got here on site with our equipment about 11:30," said search manager Chris Collins.
Collins said there about 20 search and rescue volunteers are participating in the effort, and they're conducting the search both along the shoreline and in the water with the help of three boats and a drone.
Other agencies involved in the search include the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Canadian Coast Guard, and a search and rescue helicopter. By Friday afternoon, the RCMP's underwater recovery team had also arrived.
"We're still actively searching and hopefully he managed to swim to shore somewhere or something and hunkered down for the night," Collins said. "So that's our tasking right now, is to find him and bring him home."
Collins said the search would continue until nightfall on Friday, at which time RCMP would make a decision about next steps.
"I'm assuming he's sitting somewhere fishing, and the kayak probably drifted away, so he's just waiting for us to come find him," Allain said. "He's going to come home safe. It's just a matter of time."
Anyone with information can call Shediac RCMP at 506-522-5151
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