Labrador salmon lodge fined $12K for OHS charges in guide's death
A Labrador salmon lodge has been ordered to pay a total of $12,500 in fines after pleading guilty to three charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act in connection with the 2018 drowning of one of its guides.
Cartwright resident Raymond Green, an experienced guide, died after his boat capsized while he was working for Cloud 9 Salmon Lodge on the Eagle River.
Two tourists from the United States, who had also been thrown overboard, were rescued.
In an agreed statement of facts, Jeffrey Gaca and Jonathan Carmen, the two survivors, told OHS investigators that none of the three men in the boat was wearing life jackets.
Green's body was never recovered.
Located in Cartwright, Cloud 9 is popular with salmon fishermen and wilderness enthusiasts from across North America.
'That was the last time I heard his voice': Wife recounts
In a victim impact statement, Green's wife, Phoebe Davis, recounted both their life together and that "horrible day," including their last phone conversation.
"He was excited to tell me his camp had gotten the first fish of the season. He talked about our upcoming trip and how excited he was to meet our two new grandchildren for the first time," said Davis, who was married to Green for 31 years.
"[He] told me he loved me, see you later! And that was the last time I heard his voice."
She recounted how she couldn't move when her pastor delivered the news about the incident.
"The days following were pure torture ... I saw the pain in the faces of our children and grandchildren," Davis said.
She explained how the day Green went into the river was not the worst day of her life. That, she wrote, came after.
"It was the day the rivers closed for the season and the camps shut down ... Everyone returned home," she said.
"Everyone but him. He was left up there in the river alone."
Since August 2018, new protocols have been introduced, including requiring all Cloud 9 guides to have radio or satellite phones with them on all trips from the lodge. Life jackets must now be worn while in a boat.
However, one of the decisions in court on Friday means Cloud 9 Salmon Lodge won't have to pay a victim surcharge fee.
The judge felt it would be an undue burden for the company after business slowed because of the pandemic.
In addition, the company, which pleaded guilty to the three charges last month, can take three years to pay the fines.
