Thursday, November 16, 2006

Missing Fisherman causes anguish in Rupert, Charlottes and Vancouver

The case of a missing Masset fisherman is resulting in anxious moments for family and friends in many communities in British Columbia. Roland Bernard Morrison, was last seen in Steveston Harbour on October 28 and since that date has disappeared, resulting in a mystery that has yet to be solved.

He was last seen on the 28th sitting in a zodiac tied up to a boat at Steveston, when a worker on the boat looked again he was gone. He was officially reported as Missing on November 5th after no one had heard or seen him since the 28th, there are claims by two men that they saw him on November 2nd and that he was trying to get a ride on another boat, from there the trail seems to grow cold.

The Daily News takes a look at the mystery with a front page story in its Wednesday edition.

FAMILY IS IN ANGUISH AFTER FISHERMAN DISAPPEARS
Roland Morrison has not been heard from for more than two weeks.
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Pages one and three

Family members help a missing Masset fisherman will turn up safe and disappearing from Richmond more than two weeks ago.

Roland Bernard Morrison, 47, was last seen in Steveston Harbour on October 28.

“He was actually on the BC Flyer which docks down here,” said Vancouver’s Maureen Campbell, Morrison’s cousin. “One of his crew members saw him sitting on the Zodiac tied up to the boat and then he had left.

“When he came back he didn’t see Roland anywhere.”

It’s estimated that Morrison was in the Zodiac by himself for about half an hour before the crew member returned to find him missing. Morrison usually keeps in close contact with his skipper and a friend aboard the fishing boat. He was reported missing on Nov. 5 by a co-worker after no one had heard from him for week. Attempts to locate the him through friends and family have not been successful thus far.

“The police thought he may have fallen overboard and so they had the divers out and had been doing searching and checking the beaches and stuff but they didn’t uncover anything,” said Campbell.

Media reports during the weekend down south have generated several leads that now give the family hope that Morrison may not have drowned as police initially suspected. Two men claim that they saw the Masset resident on Nov. 2.

“The two people that saw him on the second mentioned he was trying to get out on another boat,” she said. “If he managed to find a boat out on the dock and it was leaving then and there…”

Campbell said family would be unable to contact Morrison because his cell phone was out of minutes and the recent bad weather could have left whatever vessel he may be on moving slowly up to its destination.

“The more we can get the information going up the coast, the more likely maybe one of the crew members will call home and their significant other or whoever will say Roland’s reported missing,” she said.

“Who knows, maybe someone will say ‘he’s onboard with me’ – we’re really trying to get it out there because a lot of people talk to one another in the fishing industry.”

The family, who started handing out missing-person posters on Monday once they received the information that the Masset resident may be on another boat, also received information that Morrison had been seen on the Canadian Fish docks in Vancouver, but the company did not have him on any of their crew lists.

The missing man has numerous family members in Prince Rupert and the on the Queen Charlottes.

He is described as being of heavy build, weighing 109 kilograms and standing 183 centimetres tall.

He was last seen wearing blue jeans, running shoes and a black fleece vest over-top of a black T-Shirt.

Anyone who has information about Morrison’s whereabouts are asked to contact Cpl. Chan at the Richmond RCMP Detachment at 604-278-1212, ext. 2560.

Any information can also be emailed to findrolley@hotmail.com

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