On July 31, 1980, Margaret Jane was returning an injured crew member to Lunenburg after three days of scallop fishing with an 18-member crew.[2] [5] [6] Cape Beaver, a steel-plated 160-foot wetfish trawler owned by National Sea Products, was undergoing her first shakedown cruise in Nova Scotia waters and had dignitaries on board.[7] [2] [8] [9]
At approximately 12:00 p.m. (ADT), Margaret Jane was hit on the port side by Cape Beaver in dense fog.[9] The incident occurred about six kilometers from Lunenburg, near West Ironbound Island.[2] [10] The large ice-cutting ball on the bow of Cape Beaver sliced through the side of the Margaret Jane.[7] After the collision, some crewmembers jumped overboard into the Atlantic Ocean and others scrambled into the boat's life raft.[9] Within two minutes, the Margaret Jane was submerged by water and sank.[7] [10] Four crewmembers of the Margaret Jane died in the incident.[10] Some crew members from Cape Beaver jumped into a life boat and helped rescue survivors.[7] The Cape Beaver boat and crew was not injured and returned to the National Sea Products wharf with rescued crew members from the Margaret Jane.[2] Four injured men were taken to hospital in the incident and the other 10 members of the crew were unharmed after being rescued.[2]
A television film crew from CBC was aboard Cape Beaver and captured footage of the collision and aftermath.[11] The video footage was aired on national television across the United States.[12] [13] [14]
Three of the four crew members who died were originally from Newfoundland.[2] The fourth was Kelly Crouse, a 16-year-old from Brockville, Ontario who went on the fishing trip while on vacation with his parents.[10]
| Name | Age | Hometown | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Crouse | 16 | Brockville, Ontario | ||
| Aloysius J. Hinks | 34 | Chester | ||
| Manuel Joseph Jesso | 41 | Stephenville, Newfoundland | ||
| Leonard Snook | 55 | English Harbour, Newfoundland |
On September 4, 1980, Transport Minister Jean-Luc Pépin ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.[15] The inquiry was held before Justice A. Gordon Cooper of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court Appeals Division.[16] Captain Morris Nowe, skipper of the Cape Beaver, testified that there was no liquor aboard the ship when it collided with the Margaret Jane.[16]