Back Bay man dies after boat accident

A boat accident off Frye Island, near Back Bay, on Saturday, November 19, took the life of a 45-year-old Back Bay resident, but his 10-year-old son managed to make it to the shore safely. Norman Parker drowned after his 28-foot fishing vessel Wendy and Michael sank in rough and choppy seas off the western side of the island.
"The son told us the boat developed engine trouble and flipped over," says Constable Adam Caissie of the RCMP in St. George. "There were multiple life jackets on board, but only the boy was wearing one. The father couldn't swim."
The young boy told authorities that he helped his dad onto the rocky shore of Frye Island before walking approximately five kilometres across to the other side of the island and to the Letang shore before reaching a relative's home. Frye Island is accessible to the mainland at low tide.
When searchers reached the area, Norman Parker's body was found by a local fisherman shortly before 4 p.m. floating in the water nearby. He was pronounced dead at the Saint John Regional Hospital, and an autopsy confirmed that he died as a result of drowning. Among those looking for the missing man were local fishermen, members of the St. George Fire Department, the Canadian Coast Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Parkers were on their way home from a camping trip when the accident happened.
The RCMP and the Transportation Safety Board continue to investigate the incident.