One of the fishermen missing off the north coast of Vancouver Island for four days has been identified as Peter Idlewine, a construction superintendent from a small town near Portland, Ore.
“He has gone up to Canada and gone fishing frequently,” says Pete Sleeth, a friend from Lake Oswego who has known Idlewine since they were boys.
“He’s just a consummate outdoorsman. He just loves Canada and he loves fishing. One of the highlights for him is to go up to Canada [on fishing trips],” Sleeth told The Province.
Idlewine, 53, lives in Brush Prairie, Wash., a rural community outside of Vancouver, Wash., near Portland, with his wife.
Sleeth said he had the wife’s permission to release her husband’s name, but didn’t want to disclose any other personal details.
Sleeth didn’t know the other two men on the fishing trip, he said. They have been identified only as a resident of Washington and another from Oregon. They are both also in their 50s.
Also missing is experienced fishing guide Kevin Sturgess, 36.
The four men were last seen Monday morning leaving Qualicum Rivers Fishing Charter and Lodge in Winter Harbour on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Their last radio contact was 9:30 a.m., and the alarm was raised after they failed to return to the lodge Monday at 7:30 p.m.
A massive search-and-rescue operation, led by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria and involving CFB Comox and the Canadian Coast Guard, has failed to spot up the six-metre grey aluminium fishing boat. The four-day search has been hampered by fog and low cloud cover.
The men had lifejackets available on the boat, but not full survival suits or an electronic positioning indicator beacon that would go off in the event of an emergency.
Winds on Monday in the area were gusting as hard as 80 km/h, causing three-metre waves.
The fishing lodge released a statement saying staff were helping the searchers in any way they could, and they were praying for the safe return of the four men.
slazaruk@theprovince.com
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Kevin Strugess was a popular guy when he guided in Tofino - i knew him well.
I pray for his and his crews safe return.