Second victim of boat collision identified
One of the victims of a tragic boating accident was a Nova Scotia man who was visiting his daughter in P.E.I. for the weekend.
Chris Melanson was on the boat with one of his three daughters, Isabella, during the fatal collision near Beach Point on the weekend.
Melanson was the second victim to be identified; 20-yearold Montague resident Justin MacKay was the other victim.
GoFundMe campaigns have been established for family members of both victims.
The GoFundMe for Melanson, named “boating accident victim & survivor,” noted that Melanson was in P.E.I. to visit Isabella.
“The two of them went out lobster fishing as that was something that Chris loved to do,” said the GoFundMe.
“The accident happened so fast but Chris passed away out on the water doing something he loved.”
The fundraiser said Isabella is now unable to work after witnessing the event.
Any donations will go towards helping her financially over the next couple of weeks. She will be travelling to Weymouth, N.S., where Melanson’s funeral will be held.
A funeral will be held for MacKay at Ferguson Logan Montague Funeral Home chapel on Thursday, with an interment to follow in the Murray River Cemetery.
RCMP said the collision occurred when one boat on its way back to shore smashed into another boat that was buoyed about nine kilometres off the coast Saturday morning.
There were eight crew members between the two boats, including the two victims.
The collision is currently under investigation and review by several agencies, including the RCMP, Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.