Four children were killed in a tragedy that occurred on Saturday in a village located in the northeastern part of Quebec during a fishing trip, according to police.
Authorities are still looking for a man in his 30s, who was part of a fishing party but has not been found.
The four bodies — all older than 10 years old — were discovered unresponsive along the riverbank a few minutes after the authorities received a call from a concerned citizen about a group of people who had been washed away by the tide in Portneuf-sur-Mer about 550 km (341 miles northeast of Montreal).
The group was made up of 11 people, who were walking along the shore to fish for capelin when the rising tide caught them off guard.
Divers from the Quebec Provincial Police and members of the Canadian Forces took part in the search to find the missing adult.
The mayor of Portneuf-sur-Mer (a community with about 600 residents) Jean-Maurice Tremblay stated on Saturday that he didn’t know anything more about the victims.
Tremblay, speaking in French, said that “everyone was affected by the event because it is the first time this has happened.” When it involves four children and five people drowning in a recreational activity, people get quite upset.
Tremblay says fishing for capelin, a silvery smeltfish, is a very popular activity on the north shore of Quebec. The fishing is done along the banks of the river with scoops instead of fishing lines.
Tremblay said that Capelin roll most often at night. People light a fire and wait on the shore.
Tremblay stated that all-terrain vehicle access is possible to the sandbank where the victims were fishing. The victims were trapped on a peninsula that can become submerged up to 4 meters when the tide is high.
Police received a 911 call at 2 am on Saturday. Six people were rescued and five were reported missing, including the four victims as well as the missing man.
The four bodies were taken to a nearby clinic, where a doctor confirmed that they had died.
To shed light on the incident, police investigators and forensic team have been dispatched.
