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Friday, May 1, 2015 2015 Friday, December 25,
Earthquake rattles beds but fails to startle nerves By Stacey Marple Haida Gwaii Observer
The early morning of Friday April 24, Haida Gwaii was hit by an Earthquake of 6.1 magnitude. No tsunami warnings were issued after the earthquake. The epicentre of the quake was approximately 167 km south of the Village of Queen Charlotte. Some residents of Haida Gwaii reported objects shaking and windows rattling, but no serious damage or injuries were reported. As the islands of Haida Gwaii all have unique geological qualities, the effects of an earthquake can vary from island to island. Every community reported feeling the quake in different ways. Queen Charlotte Village which has a rock base didn’t feel the quake as much as the residents of the northern parts of Graham island. Tlell and north is mostly a sand based area and feels almost every quake that happens. Shirley Wilson of Skidegate reported feeling the earthquake. “I was sitting in my bed when I heard the house creak.” After the initial creak she felt her bed start rocking and noticed her ornaments rocking. “The Submitted photo ornaments rocked for a while after the quake Committee members of the Pulling Together Haida Gwaii Event demonstrate their teamwork abilities at the carving shed in the stopped,” Ms. Wilson told the Observer. “My Kay Centre. The group will be holding a fund raiser May 2. See full story on Page 3 son and brother who were also in the house didn’t feel the earthquake at all.” Barry Pages of Masset, director of the Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District said he felt the quake but because it was fairly short he wasn’t too concerned. However, he morning, April 18. He missed dinner By Quinn Bender added, “This is a reminder to every one to be plans with friends later that night. Haida Gwaii Observer prepared.” The following Tuesday Masset Earthquakes are nothing new to Haida RCMP received a missing persons The search for Kumdis Ilsand resiGwaii. The quake comes just weeks after a report, which led to the discovery dent, Brent Hendren, was suspended study identied Haida Gwaii as ground zero Mr. Hendren’s boat abandoned and last weekend following one of Haida for the next major seismic event on the west overturned south of Watun River Gwaii’s largest search and rescue coast. near Pure Lake Provincial Park. operations in more than 25 years. This recent earthquake doesn’t qualify as “It is strongly believed that Brent “I know for a fact that if he was the big one scientists predict, as it was smaller alive out there we would have found drowned when his rowboat capsized - Chris Ashurst than even some of the aftershocks after the 7.7 him. There’s no chance we would west of Kumdis Island,” Mr. Ashurst magnitude earthquake in 2012. said. “This is based on information have missed him. The community The same weekend that Haida Gwaii got from witnesses, the location of the capshould know we did everything we hit by this 6.1 tremor, Nepal was devastated sized vessel, and the distribution of his possibly could to find him,” said Massett Marine Rescue. by a 7.8 magnitude event. Chris Ashurst, SAR manager with Mr. Hendren, 27, was last seen personal effects along the shoreline. Earthquakes between 6.0 andstudents a 6.9 areat Port Archipelago Thank you to all the atalented Clements Elementary School for providing artworkout to the cover of our Christmas Ground Search and rowing to his Kumdis Island edition. For more art from schools considered a strong onplease the Richter scale.10-11. Rescue and deputy unit leader with cabin rental with supplies Sunday across the islands see Page See SEARCH on Page 2
Search and rescue suspended after Day 3 “I know for a fact that if he was alive out there we would have found him.”
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