(File photo via RCMP NS Facebook page)

UPDATED TUESDAY, OCT. 21, 2 p.m.

Two children have died after a boat they were in overturned in the West Caledonia area late Saturday afternoon.

RCMP, EHS, fire services and the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre responded to a 911 call of a boater in distress in Lake Rossignol just before 5 p.m.

A 45-year-old man and three children from Fall River were in a flat-bottom canoe with a motor when it capsized.

Emergency personnel reached them just before 6:30 p.m., RCMP said, when they were rushed to hospital in a search and rescue helicopter.

The man and one child survived their injuries. The other two children died, RCMP said.

The children were “10 or younger”, RCMP spokeswoman Const. Mandy Edwards said in an interview. Edwards said they’re not releasing any more specifics about the children’s ages.

“There were many challenges involved with the rescue,” she said. “The recent drought levels, the lake was quite low so there were a lot of rocks exposed as well as just trying to locate exactly where in the lake the group was for the rescue efforts. And darkness was falling. This time of year, the evening comes pretty quick.”

Edwards said the man and the children had been using the boat’s motor when it stopped working.

“The weather had changed. The motor stopped working and then they took on water. So they were trying to bail themselves out, but unfortunately, that’s when the boat overturned and that’s when they called 911.”

Edwards said the man tried CPR on the children.

“The man had performed life-saving measures such as CPR and he was attempting CPR when they were recovered. So they were all transported to hospital and it wasn’t until they arrived in hospital when they were pronounced deceased.”

Queens District RCMP are investigating, though Edwards said police don’t suspect foul play at this point.

“They would just be looking to obtain all the information involved, so that could include statements, recovery of the boat involved, just to paint that final picture of what exactly happened and put all the pieces together.”

In a Facebook post, North Queens Fire Chief Chris Wolfe thanked emergency personnel for their quick response.

“The low water and darkness brought us challenges but we managed to do what we set out to do,” he said.

“We also want to send out our condolences to the families affected by this awful tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

A man from the Halifax area is dead after a crash in Pleasant River, Queens Co., on Friday. (RCMP)

A 44-year-old man from the Halifax region died on Friday after his vehicle left the road on Hwy. 208 in Pleasant River, Queens Co.

Queens District RCMP, fire and other emergency crews found a Mercedes Sprinter van in the ditch around the 4200 block of Hwy. 208.

The man was the lone occupant in the van. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The road was closed for several hours, but has reopened. RCMP continue to investigate, with a help of a collision reconstructionist.