Ice sailor disappears in Grande-Digue area

A man was reported missing in the Grande-Digue area on Wednesday evening. He has still not been located. (Radio-Canada - image credit)
A man was reported missing in the Grande-Digue area on Wednesday evening. He has still not been located. (Radio-Canada - image credit)

A man is missing near the eastern New Brunswick community of Grande-Digue after he went out ice sailing Wednesday.

A search was suspended at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and could continue Thursday morning.

Fire Chief Daniel Desroches of Beausoleil told Radio-Canada that his team received a call early Wednesday night from the RCMP about a missing person on Grande-Digue Bay.

Searches were carried out in the areas of Grande-Digue Bay, Shediac Island and the Shediac River.

Lt. Comm Len Hickey of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax said the person was ice sailing, a sport where a modified boat with a sail travels on thin blades atop ice surfaces.

Hickey said the rescue centre provided a helicopter for Wednesday night, but it was replaced by an RCMP helicopter.

RCMP are handling the search.

Desroches said he is waiting for instructions from RCMP on the resumption of the search.