The Sea Was in Their Blood: The Devastating Loss of the Miss Ally’s Five-Man Crew

It was a frigid night in February 2013 when the lights aboard the Miss Ally, a 12-metre fishing boat, malfunctioned. The Miss Ally’s crew, five young men from southern Nova Scotia, knew a wicked storm was approaching, but they also had thousands of dollars of fishing equipment baited and set on the ocean floor. Instead of gunning for shore, they decided to stay until morning and try to locate their buoys, nets, and hooks by daylight; the decision proved fatal. Sometime overnight, following calls to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and their loved ones on land, the Miss Ally capsized. Despite an extensive search, the vicious winter storm prevented any form of rescue from sea or air, and all five fishermenKatlin Nickerson, Joel Hopkins, Cole Nickerson, Tyson Townsend, and Billy Jack Hatfieldwere lost at sea. Their bodies were never found. Through interviews with the crew’s families and co-workers, the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Co-ordination Team, and members of the tight-knit fishing communities of Woods Harbour and Cape Sable Island, award-winning journalist Quentin Casey pieces together the night the Miss Ally foundered, weaving in the backstories and the aftermath of this tragic accident. Includes 10 black-and-white photos.