Wharf accident claims life of fisherman

Losses are felt hard in small fishing communities like Eddies Cove East, N.L.

The Straits community is mourning the loss of Harrison Coates after he fell off a wharf in Blanc Sablon, Quebec.

The trip across the Strait of Belle Isle chasing cod is an annual event for small boat fishermen like Coates. According to Quebec’s provincial police, the 59-year-old Mr. Coates hit his head on a boat while falling and drowned. No one witnessed the July 14 accident. Coates was found by other fishermen.

The police have concluded that Coates’ death was an accident.