'Absolutely tragic': 2 dads, 2 sons die on northern Manitoba canoe trip

A community is in mourning after two men and two boys drowned while on a canoe trip in northern Manitoba on Monday.

The bodies of Conor Sykes and his six-year-old son, Liam, were recovered along with those of Shane Cripps and his 14-year-old son, Dylan. All four were from Thompson, Man., about 650 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

"We were so happy; we were such a happy family," said a distraught Lindsay Catherine Rose Sykes, wife of Conor Sykes. "He worked very hard for his family. He loved us so much."

It was the first canoe trip of the year for the two men, who were best friends, she said. Her husband was 33 and Cripps was 44.

"I have a baby girl ... she's four and she lost her best friend, Liam, her brother; and her daddy," Sykes said through heavy sobs.

James Cripps, 18, said it's surreal that his father and younger brother are gone.

"It just feels like your entire world crashes down on you," he told The Canadian Press on Tuesday.

The foursome launched their canoe trip near the causeway that connects to the Burntwood River, just northwest of Thompson, and were expected back before noon. But by 5 p.m. CT, they had not returned.

The four, who all had life-jackets on, were found on Monday night, close to their capsized canoe, RCMP said.

The area of the causeway is popular with boaters and fishers, and with the winter ice only recently having melted away, this was the first weekend the water was open.

Thompson Mayor Dennis Fenske said the water was only about 3 C or 4 C.

"Although it looks nice, it can be very treacherous in that sense, if you happen to go into it," he said.

'Everybody was just too late'

Sykes said she started to worry for her husband and son after her phone calls to her husband kept going straight to voicemail.

"I knew in my gut something was wrong," she said.

She then got together with Cripps's wife. At 5 p.m., they contacted the RCMP, who responded immediately.

"They were in the water so fast," Sykes said, adding the Thompson Fire Department quickly joined in, along with a Manitoba Hydro helicopter and someone with a private float plane. "Everybody was just too late.

My husband was a strong swimmer and I know he fought to get there. He gave it to his last breath.- Lindsay Catherine Rose Sykes

"They think the shoreline was just too far for them to swim in the water. It was still too cold," Sykes said.

"My husband was a strong swimmer and I know he fought to get there. He gave it to his last breath."

The deaths come just over a week after the retired police chief of Kenora, Ont., drowned while kayaking in Whiteshell Provincial Park.

• Man shocked at passing of friend found dead on kayak trip in Manitoba
• Girl, 5, dies after canoe capsizes in Churchill, Man.

'Devastating accident'​

James Cripps said his brother Dylan was his best friend and he looked up to his father. 

"My dad was my hero, obviously. He's everything I aspired to be as a man when I grew up. He taught me so many lessons. He's been there for everything," he said. 

He recalled a time when his father fell in the water when their canoe tipped. That time, he was able to swim to the boat and get back in. 

"Any time someone falls in the water, everything's OK, you're going to laugh about it after," Cripps said.

"This time they weren't."   

Thompson Coun. Penny Byer said the community is reeling right now from the deaths. A critical incident team is meeting in the city to find ways to help the families.

Mayor Fenske added that trauma teams have been sent to the schools attended by the two boys.

"It's absolutely tragic, devastating to the community," he said.

According to RCMP, it was members of the public, assisting in the search, who found the four victims.

"This is the worst result imaginable. Thank you to everyone involved in the search," said Sgt. Ben Sewell of the Thompson RCMP.

"This is a devastating accident that has left the community of Thompson in mourning."

Support from community

Members of the Thompson community have been sending their condolences to the families online.

Sykes said she has received numerous messages of support on Facebook, both from friends and strangers.

"I can't thank the community enough for their support," she said. "I'm very grateful to have been a part of this community."

Clint Saulteaux knew Cripps, who ran the River View Restaurant in Thompson.

He said Cripps would often keep the restaurant open after hours for young people in the community.

"Hip-hop artists, other nights there were poetry readings. Basically it was anything to do with the marginalized community and the marginalized youth of Thompson that he gave opportunities to showcase their talents," Saulteaux said.

"In his restaurant right now are paintings by local artists and mostly First Nations artists that are pursuing painting, photography."