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The search for a missing fishing boat captain off the coast of Canso, N.S., is being scaled back at sunset.

The Fisherman’s Provider II ran aground on Tuesday around 8 p.m. in an area known as Frying Pan Shoal. There were four people on the vessel at the time it started taking on water, three of whom were rescued by another local fishing vessel.

“It was just under an hour between the mayday call and when they were able to get on scene and recover the three crew members out of a life raft,” said Marc Ouellette, regional supervisor with the Canadian Coast Guard.

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According to officials, the captain elected to remain on-board.

“It’s not uncommon for a captain to want to stay on-board to attempt and save the vessel,” said Ouellette.

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It took approximately four hours for the closest Coast Guard vessel to get to the scene.

The Fisherman’s Provider II can be seen where it has run aground just near Canso, N.S. Courtesy of Coady Robert Avery

Major Mark Norris, JRCC Halifax Commanding Officer, says weather conditions have prevented search officials from getting on-board the vessel. A Hercules aircraft and a Cormorant helicopter were brought in and an aerial search was conducted, however, no heat signals were reported.

Ouellette says immersion suits were on-board the vessel.

“Indications initially were that all four were wearing immersion suits. We were not able to confirm if the captain had on his immersion suit at this time,” he said.

At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Norris confirmed they were reducing the search for the man.

“We have had no indications of life on the vessel,” said Norris. “We have exhausted our ability to ascertain if he is on the vessel.”

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The man’s next-of-kin has been notified of the decision to scale back the search. The identity of the captain is not being released at this time.

The case will now be handed over to the RCMP as a missing person’s case.

“Given the time that’s elapsed, almost 48 hours, there’s very little chance that there will be a positive outcome to this case,” said Norris.

The Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the case. At this time, it’s unclear what caused the Fisherman’s Provider II to run aground.