Smiths Falls man swept into ocean
A well-known Smiths Falls family is in mourning following the death of one of their number, 25-year-old James Donald Quattrocchi, in an accident last week at a picturesque Nova Scotia seaside town.
RCMP divers Sunday called off their search for Quattrocchi after failing to find his body in the water off Peggy’s Cove. Jamie, as he was known to family and friends, was swept into the cold water when a sudden swell hit as he stood on the rocks below the resort town’s famed lighthouse. His longtime girlfriend, Brittany Smith, was above him on the rocks taking his picture.
“He was just taking a picture when a wave came up,” Quattrocchi’s mother, Caroline, said Sunday evening. “Brittany said he slipped and lost his footing a bit, and before he could stand another wave came and swept him away.”
Rough conditions hampered search efforts in the immediate aftermath of the Wednesday accident and divers were unable to find the body. The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team ended the search around 3 p.m. Sunday after several hours in the water.
Quattrocchi was the son of Jim and Caroline Quattrocchi. The father is one of the partners in a long-established Smiths Falls wholesale firm, J. Quattrocchi & Co. Ltd. The company, for which Jamie also worked, distributes fruit, vegetables and other food products throughout the Ottawa Valley.
The Quattrocchis announced the death of their son on a memorial Facebook site, In Memory of Jamie Quattrocchi. “It is with great sadness and grief that we share this message. Jamie Quattrocchi (25) tragically left us Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015, while vacationing with his love Brittany Smith and their dog Cooper at Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia.” The site has been flooded with condolence messages.
“So very sorry for your heartbreaking loss,” one family friend posted. “Thoughts & prayers to the Quattrocchi family as well as his beautiful girlfriend Brittany. Keep your wonderful memories close to your heart.”
“I have been born and raised on St Margaret’s Bay and Peggy’s Cove was my second home,” said a more distant poster. “My prayers to this young man’s family, and prayers of strength to his girlfriend, who I am sure is having a very difficult time right now.”
Caroline Quattrocchi said she and Smith intend to set up a crowd funding appeal with a view to persuading authorities to improve safety measures and warnings at Peggy’s Cove. Details on the campaign, along with a celebration of Jamie’s life, will be posted on the Facebook site.
In the meantime, funeral services for the young man — he would have been 26 on June 4 — will be held Saturday, May 2 at 11 a.m. at St. Frances de Sales Church in Smiths Falls. Visitations are planned for the previous day, Friday, at 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Blair & Son’s funeral chapel in Smiths Falls.