Four children who had gone fishing in Portneuf-sur-Mer, in the North Shore, are dead Saturday morning on the edge of the bank. A man in his thirties would always be missing.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) received a call concerning a group of people who were missing around 2:00 a.m. According to our information, it would be two families from the region and a few friends.
“According to initial information, a group of people [11] were fishing capelin on the seashore [à pied] when they got caught by the tide,” the police said in a statement.
Six people were rescued in time.
It was not until around 6:00 a.m. that the four children were found unresponsive. They were transported to the local CLSC, where they were pronounced dead. According to our information, the four victims were young teenagers from two families.
A man in his thirties, who was still missing, was fished out on Saturday evening by divers from the Sûreté du Québec. His death was confirmed at the hospital.
A team of divers and members of the Canadian Armed Forces were called to the scene to carry out the search. SQ investigators were also dispatched to understand the causes and circumstances surrounding this event.
It is currently capelin fishing season in the region. At night, the fish start rolling on the bank, and it is possible to catch them using a net or sometimes even with your bare hands.
Shock wave
The news of this tragedy quickly created shock waves in the small community located on the Haute-Côte-Nord.
“I am devastated by the tragedy that occurred in Portneuf-sur-Mer. I am wholeheartedly with the relatives of the victims and with the community, ”wrote the deputy for René-Levesque, Yves Montigny, on Twitter, while thanking the research teams still at work.
“My sweetest thoughts are with the Portneuvois and the population of the Haute-Côte-Nord in the tragedy they are going through. My mother’s heart is with you and my whole team is available for you,” said Federal MP for Manicouagan, Marilène Gill.
“All our support goes to the families in Portneuf-sur-Mer. We are wholeheartedly with you,” said the minister responsible for the North Shore, Kateri Champagne Jourdain, during a press briefing on the forest fires in Sept-Îles.
– With Louis Deschênes, Journal de Québec, and QMI Agency