Family takes to the sky in search for missing kayaker in P.E.I.

The search for Luc Bourgeois, a 34-year-old kayaker who has been missing since July 24 near Shediac, is still ongoing. Maria Saro reports.

Luc Bourgeois’ father and uncles boarded a helicopter in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, strapped on their seatbelts and put on headphones. They knew the odds were slim and expected the worst, but they flew anyway.

The 34-year-old’s family boarded a helicopter a few days after the police search ended to continue the search themselves. The flight Tuesday covered the entire Northumberland Sound and the coasts of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, a search that is being carried out with a broken heart.

“It’s so hard… we’re in so much pain… we’re still searching and we’re still hoping,” said Serge Bourgeois, Luc’s father, before the flight.

Luke’s uncle, Keith Allen, added: “I think we’ve accepted what we might find and we’re just going to keep going. It’s a tough situation, but we’re not going to stop until we find it. We need closure.”

Luke Bourgeois kayaked off the Pointe-du-Château in New Brunswick last Thursday and never came back. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) searched the area for three days before calling it quits, leaving the family on their own.

“We were running out of resources… and none of us had ever done anything like this before,” said Luke Leger, another of Luke’s uncles.

The family appealed for help on Facebook, and thousands of strangers volunteered to search on land and at sea, on beaches, in forest edges, in bays and on piers. But boats were slow and dangerous in the rough waters.

“Right now, the search from the air is really key,” Allen said. “The water has been very rough for a few days.”

“From the air, you can cover a lot of ground in a very short time,” Leger added.

From the top of the helicopter, you can scan kilometers in a matter of minutes, see the ocean floor (if the water is clear) and check the surface for any signs of Bourgeois.

Tuesday’s flight was paid for by a benefactor, but future flights are not guaranteed. The family is now raising funds to conduct more aerial searches.

More information on how to help is available on the “Bring Luc Home” Facebook page.

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