Province donates $25,000 toward purchase of side-scan sonar initiative

DEER LAKE - The Stephan Hopkins Memorial Foundation is one step closer to meeting its fundraising goal, thanks to a $25,000 donation announced by the provincial government on Wednesday.

The foundation is attempting to raise $265,000 for new side-scan sonar equipment for the province in memory of Stephan Hopkins - a 19-year-old man from Deer Lake.

Hopkins drowned as a result of a boating accident in July 2007. Following the incident, RCMP divers and search and rescue teams attempted to find the young man's body. After a week of intensive searching, the body was still missing.

Hopkins' uncle eventually contacted Gene and Sandy Ralston, who specialize in underwater recovery operations.

The Ralstons pioneered side-scan sonar technology. The technology operates as a search tool, allowing large underwater areas to be covered in far less time than with traditional search methods.

The Ralstons came from Boise, Idaho to assist the Hopkins family. They were able to find Hopkins‚ body in approximately 80 feet of water. The search took less than an hour.

The Hopkins family now wants side-scan sonar to be readily available in the province.

"What happened to us was a family's worst nightmare," said Stephan's father Terry Hopkins. "Our 19-year-old son was involved in a boating accident which claimed his life.
Coupled with that, we were unsuccessful in trying to locate Stephan's body for 73 days. We vowed that no family would ever have to endure such pain again."

The provincial government was pleased to contribute to the cause, according to Minister of Municipal Affairs Dave Denine.

"Side-scan sonars have been widely successful in efforts to retrieve drowning victims," he said. "This time-saving equipment undoubtedly lessens the pain caused to families, when a conventional search is unsuccessful."

Denine is also the minister responsible for fire and emergency services in the province.
Although Denine announced the government's contribution, Stephan Hopkins Memorial Foundation chairperson Junior Pinksen wanted to also send credit to local MHA Darryl Kelly.
"We're excited that our MHA Darryl Kelly went to bat for us," said Pinksen Wednesday.
According to the Pinksen, it "would have been nice" for the provincial government to cover all of the costs related to the purchase of the equipment. "But with the contribution of $25,000, we're that much closer to the goal."

"And in the end, they could have given us nothing."

Following Wednesday's announcement, the foundation has less than $50,000 to raise in order to meet its fundraising goal- an amount that will cover the cost of the side-scan sonar equipment.

The Stephan Hopkins Memorial Foundation was established April 24. For more information on the foundation, please visit www.73days.ca.