Owner of Atlantic Charger, sunk in Frobisher Bay, angry no helicopter responded

The owner of the Atlantic Charger, which sank in the Davis Strait last month, is asking why a search and rescue helicopter wasn't dispatched from Labrador to rescue the crew.

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Brad Watkins, who owned the Atlantic Charger before it sank in off Resolution IslandSept. 22, said he's grateful to the "awesome" search and rescue team that responded.

However, he says his crew members weredisappointed and angry by the absence of a helicopter during the rescue.

"Theywannaknow where the chopper was. They asked me, 'Where was the damn chopper,' and I started asking questions," Watkins toldCBC'sThe Broadcast.

Watkins saidhis men spent hours in a life-raft before they wereput aboard a cargo shipand then brought to Harbour Grace by another fishing boat, the Katshsheshuk.

"If it wasn't for those vessels, would there ever have been a chopper arrived in that area?" Watkins said.

"We got no life-saving equipment down there. We've got a lot of men on the water, a lot of seafarers, and if they go in the water, if there's not another commercial vessel in the area then there's not much hope."

'Save some lives'

Watkins saidmembers of hiscrew had limited radio contact with search and rescue, but were told it would take hours to get a helicopter from Gander.

"The boys were told the chopper was going to be five hours before she was dispatched they mayhave heard wrong through this radio,but I am quitesurethey said it was going to be the next morning before the chopper would show up," Watkins said.

"And as far as I'm being told by sources, the chopper wouldn't have made it. She had mechanical troubles. There wasn't even a back up chopper."

Watkins vowed to put pressure on government to ensure there were resources put in place for future incidents.

"I can't help but think all the money we'resendingoverseas, I'm all for that, but help our own people first," he said.

"Put a chopper down in [Happy Valley-Goose Bay]and save some lives when it needs to be saved."

As for what caused his boat to sink, Watkins says he may never know, but weather was a big factor.

"She took a couple ofbad [swells]and never recovered. If there's other stuff that went on there, something that give out or broke for water to get into the vessel, I guess we'll never know that because she's not afloat," he said.

"But we do know that a couple of rogue waves, one after the other did initially put the boat under, and she didn't recover."