Mental health mayday: fishermen want more support after deaths at sea

Nova Scotians who make their living at sea say more robust and immediate mental health support is needed for communities when a fisherman is lost tothe crashing waves of the North Atlantic.

A handful of commercial fishermendie at sea each yearand some fishermen want specialists like grief counsellors on site in the immediate aftermath to help fishing crews and communities cope with the loss of one of their own.

"The first couple days it was very heartwrenching and very hard to deal with," saidLeBlanc, who was the captain of the DwayneAllenwhena member of his crew went overboardlast year.

He andfellow fishermanAldericDevillerhauled the man back aboard, saving his life, but in the processDevillerhad a heart attack and died.

The latest death in the waters off Nova Scotia was Saturday. Lobsterfisherman Jimmy Buchanan,44, died after he fell overboard while setting traps.

LeBlancis one of the fishermen who wants more done to help crews after they lose a shipmate.

"If they had somebody that could travel, if they had one or two persons located in our province, where something like this has happened where somebody could get some counselling ... where people can be taught how they can deal with some of their stress ... I think it would be a great idea."

Community needs to ask for help

That service isn't offered by the Maritime Fishermen's Union or the Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority does send counsellors and other mental health workers into communities after a tragedy, but a community leader generally has to come forward and ask for that help.

Mary Pyche is a program leader in mental health and addiction with the health authority.

"When the community says, 'No, this is greater than what we're able to manage amongst ourselves with our current resources,' then we absolutely want to step in and offer any support that we can," said Pyche.

She said individuals can also contact the mental health mobile crisis team for help by calling1-888-429-8167. The team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week provincewide. People can also go to their local hospital for help.

First encounter with death on a boat

In his 52 years'experience, Herb Nash hasnever heard of someone coming out to help fishermen deal with death at sea. He said it's time that changed.

Nash's friend of 33 years died of a heart attack while fishing in 2012. The ship he was on was being captained by Nash's son Charles.

"My son worked on him for 40 minutes after this happened and...I guess it was even worse where me and the guy that passed away were such good friends. He was all upset and it took the good out of him because it was his first time seeing someone dying right on the boat."

Fishing deaths on the decline

Nash would like to see the province assign a grief counsellor specifically to help fishermen and their families. He said fishing is one of the most dangerous industries in Nova Scotia and it only makes sense to provide an increased level of support to its workers.

Since 2010, the number of deaths and injuries while fishing has decreased, according to the Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. In 2010 seven people died while fishing but in 2015 that number fell to three. There were 351 injuries while fishing in 2010 compared to 224sixyears later.

The Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia said increased safety education and training contributed to the decrease.

While the death ratemay be dropping, it isn't enough to keep fisherman Neil LeBlanc from wanting out. He's fishing to pay the bills whilehe establishes his own business an indoor worm farm.

"I wish I wasn't fishing," said LeBlanc, "I don't like the dangers of it, I don't like a lot of stuff about it. To me fishing has become not fun anymore."