Drowning of man in Conche 'devastating' for small community

A small community on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula is mourning after a man drowned on Friday.

The 65-year-old Conche man was moving his boat from one wharf to another during a storm with gale force winds when it happened, says Mayor Brendan Fitzpatrick.

"From what I'm hearing the motor must have stopped or something, probably, and they say she went up on a swell and she must have, when she came back she must have tipped over and capsized," Fitzpatrick said.

He was probably no more than 30 yards from shore, Fitzpatrick said, but the strong winds and high waves made for rough conditions.

It's pretty devastating, actually. Everybody's flabbergasted with it, I think- Brendan Fitzpatrick

The man's brother was on the shore when it happened, and watched the boat capsize.

He went to get a boat to get out and help his brother.

"When he got out there he had to be careful also, you know, and it was lucky enough that he caught the gentleman ... and brought him to shore, but he was in the water probably could be 10, 15 minutes before he got to him," said Fitzpatrick.

"It's pretty sad, actually."

Fitzpatrick said in the small community with just a few hundred people, everyone knew the man who drowned.

"Everyone knew everybody. Everyone in the community knew him, knew the gentleman," he said.

"It's pretty devastating, actually. Everybody's flabbergasted with it, I think Everywhere you go, that's the topic of conversation."

RCMP say they are investigating the incident, and don't know whether the man was wearing a life-jacket.

An autopsy is scheduled.

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