News
Government approach to SAR needs to be re-examined: Dunderdale
May 25, 2012, St. John's - Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Kathy Dunderdale tabled 27 pages of correspondence between the province and Defence Minister Peter MacKay in the legislature Thursday.
May 25, 2012 By The Canadian Press
The correspondence provides a detailed examination of search and rescue protocols and questions about why federal assets weren't used in the search for Labrador teen Burton Winters, who died after he went missing on the sea ice near Makkovik earlier this year.
The province had pointed questions about weather conditions, and why a Cormorant helicopter from Gander was not sent to aid in the search.
In the correspondence MacKay said tasking decisions take in a lot of factors, but the main one was that the military wouldn't have left adequate rescue coverage if there was another emergency to respond to.
Dunderdale fielded questions in the legislature from both the Liberals and the NDP over the communications with federal officials.
She says she is sticking to her position that the province will not call a public inquiry into the Winters case.
