Four kids and one man drown after Quebec fishing accident: provincial police

A fishing excursion ended in tragedy on Saturday when four children died in a village in northeastern Quebec, provincial police said.

A fishing excursion ended in tragedy on Saturday when four children and one man died in a village in northeastern Quebec, provincial police said.

The bodies of the four children -- all young minors older than 10 -- were found unresponsive on the river bank a few hours after an emergency call about a group swept up by the tide near Portneuf-sur-Mer, about 550 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

A man in his 30s who was a member of the fishing party was pulled out of the river by provincial police divers Saturday evening. 

They were among a group of 11 people who were fishing for capelin on foot near the shore when they were caught off guard by the rising tide.

Mayor Jean-Maurice Tremblay said Saturday he did not know more about the victims or if they were from Portneuf-sur-Mer, a community of about 600 people.

"Everyone is affected by what happened, because this kind of event, it's the first time it's happened," Tremblay said in French. "When it involves five people, and four children drowning during a recreational activity, it's certain people are quite sad about it."

Capelin -- a silvery smelt fish -- are a forage species consumed by many marine animals, and Tremblay said fishing for them is a popular activity in his part of Quebec's north shore. It is done on the banks of the river using scoops rather than fishing lines.