Stephan Hopkins Foundation
The Marine Institute is lending a hand to the Stephan Hopkins Memorial Foundation. In June 2009, Vice-President of Memorial University (Marine Institute), Glenn Blackwood announced that the institute will work in collaboration with the foundation to provide equipment and training for the recovery of drowning victims.
On July 6, 2007, tragedy struck the Hopkins' family when Stephan Hopkins drowned in a canoeing accident. It took 73 days for searchers to find Stephan's body.
His body was recovered by a couple from the United States: Gene and Sandy Ralston. They used a side scan sonar and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) underwater camera. Within 29 minutes, they found his body.
To protect other families from the pain the Hopkins' family experienced in waiting so long to find their son's body, a group of volunteers set up the Stephan Hopkins Memorial Foundation to raise funds to purchase the same equipment for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In October, the foundation announced that it had reached its goal.
With the help of sponsors from across the province, the Stephan Hopkins Memorial Foundation was able to raise the funds to allow them to purchase the necessary equipment to aid families and organizations involved in search and recovery efforts should the need arise.
