Dead seaman found aboard Arctic supply vessel "Umiavut

[EL]

A 26-year-old male crew member of the supply vessel UMIAVUT was found dead in his cabin after failing to report for duty Sunday morning, the RCMP in Forteau, Labrador, said in a news release. The vessel had been in transit from Nunavut to Montreal when the death was reported. When the vessel anchored off shore at Blanc Sablon, the Surete du Quebec secured the vessel for the RCMP which now conducting the investigation.
The Forteau RCMP, along with the RCMP Major Crimes Unit, are onboard the vessel at this time. The body of the deceased is being flown to St. John's for autopsy. There are no other details at this time.

[The Dieselduck]

That is sad to hear about the crewmember. 26 is awfully young to die of natural causes.

But at least the response is more appropriate than the Panamanians.

[EL]

The RCMP say a crew member who died aboard a supply ship that was en route to Montreal from Nunavut was a homicide victim. Police say 30-year-old François Hébert of Quebec City was found dead in his cabin aboard the Umiavut on Sunday after he didn't report for work.
When the cargo ship anchored offshore at Blanc Sablon, Que., the Sûreté du Québec, Quebec's provincial police force, secured the vessel for the RCMP and Hébert's body was flown to St. John's for an autopsy. Investigators say it's been determined the homicide occurred while the vessel was travelling in waters off the coast of Labrador. The Mounties did not release Hébert's cause of death. No arrests have been made and the vessel has resumed its trip to Montreal.

[JK]

Good Lord, that is horrible

[The Dieselduck]

Just posted this on the blog... http://dieselduck.blogspot.ca/2012/09/s ... icide.html

Ship's cook, victim of homicide onboard

The death of Francois Hebert, Quebec City based Chief Cook on board the Canadian flagged cargo ship MV Umiavut, has been ruled a homicide by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). He is reported to have died on Saturday, Sept 15th, but was discovered in his cabin, at around 9am the following morning, when he did not report for work. At the time, the ship was sailing through the Strait of Belle Isle, on the Labrador coast, on it's way to Montreal from Nunavut. Mr Hebert was a permanent employee of the Canadian shipping company, NEAS, having worked for them for three years prior.

Shortly after the discovery, the Captain notified Canadian Coast Guard which instructed the ship to proceed to anchor, off nearby Blanc Sablon, Quebec, in the far eastern reaches of the province. The sailor's body was landed, and sent to St Johns, Newfoundland, for an autopsy. The Surete du Quebec, the provincial police force, first responded to the call, and determined that the vessel came under the RCMP's jurisdiction. They then assisted the local RCMP and the Major Crimes Unit from Corner Brook in the investigation. The 21 crew members were questioned, as the death was being investigated as a "sudden death".

The RCMP spent considerable time aboard the vessel while it was at anchor off Quebec, gathering information and conducting interviews of the crew members. The ship was released several days later, on Wednesday Sept 19, and proceeded on its voyage, arriving at it's home berth in Valleyfield, outside Montreal, late Friday afternoon, Sept 21. The death was subsequently determined by the coroner, to be a homicide.

The MV Umiavut is a 9,682 dwt Canadian flagged, ice strengthened, general cargo ship, used for arctic community resupply. It was built in 1988, and is owned by Umialarik Transport of Montreal, and operated by Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping Inc. (NEAS). She is scheduled for one more trip north, before the end of the 2012 resupply season.

Investigators from Newfoundland are currently in Montreal, continuing their work. The RCMP spokesperson decline comments on possible suspect(s), and no arrest have been made in the case.

I extend my condolence to Mr. Hebert's family on this tragic event. His funeral will be held in Quebec City, you can click here for more information. You can read the RCMP press release, and here is a news story.