Search called off for crew of St-Pierre freighter

Rescue officials have ended a search for the crew of a French cargo ship that sank this week off the southeast coast of Newfoundland.

The Cap Blanc sank Tuesday afternoon, only hours after search and rescue crews found it capsized about four nautical miles from Marystown.

The four members of the crew were never found. The St-Pierre-Miquelon ship had been heading to the French islands, just south of Newfoundland, with a full cargo of road salt.

A search was launched after the Cap Blanc did not report its position, although authorities waited 10 hours to start an air search. On Tuesday, two Cormorant helicopters and a Hercules plane joined two coast guard ships and an RCMP vessel in looking for the Cap Blanc.

A French ship that happened to be in the area was also enlisted in the search.

An empty life-raft was found nearby.

Some mariners, including the ship's former captain, believe the ship must have capsized quickly as the crew did not issue a distress signal.

The Cap Blanc, a roll-on, roll-off ship that left Argentia on Monday with a load of road-salt bags, was considered to be in good shape. Weather conditions at the time, however, were rough, and winds were high.

The prefect of St-Pierre-Miquelon said earlier this week that divers got a response from inside the Cap Blanc when they knocked on it. The ship, though, sank before they were able to get inside.

People in Saint-Pierre were holding a candlelight vigil Friday night for the crew. Residents of the island were expected to gather at the local wharf where the Cap Blanc usually docked.