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Craig Knorr of St. John’s, 51, died doing what he loved in his favorite place.
But his family and friends won’t find peace unless they know what happened during his final moments kayaking on Washedmok Lake in the Cambridge Narrows.
They learned from police that on July 21, a motorboat struck his yellow, 14-foot sea kayak on the lake, about 70 kilometres east of Fredericton.
The driver called 911 around 7:45 p.m., said Tracey Lavigne, a close friend of Noël’s. Lavigne’s wife, Paula Noël, was Noël’s “best friend” for half his life and his “chosen family.”
The boater “stated he didn’t see the kayak or Craig, so he didn’t know if anyone was in the boat because he didn’t even see the kayak before he struck it,” Lavigne said.
Oromocto RCMP Sgt. Stephane Esculier confirmed to CBC News that a 27-foot speedboat with a 425-horsepower engine collided with the kayak not far from the Bridge Drive Marina, across from the Mic Mac Tent & Trailer Park.
The crash was so loud that it attracted the attention of nearby villagers, who then contacted the police.
Craig Noll of Saint John died while kayaking on Washedemok Lake in the Cambridge Narrows last month. Oromocto RCMP confirmed a boat struck the 14-foot kayak, but the boater did not know if Noll was aboard.
Escuillier described the driver as an “experienced boater” who had the necessary certification to operate a jet ski and was “very familiar with the area.” The driver told police he initially thought he had hit a wayward log, also known as a “bearing log.”
The driver said he didn’t see anyone in the kayak or in the water immediately after the impact and thought the kayak must have been abandoned, but he stopped anyway and reported the situation, Escuillier said.
The RCMP launched an underwater, aerial and shoreline search. Three days later, some kayakers found a body near the bridge, “believed to be a 51-year-old Saint John man who had been missing since the 21st,” he said, but refused to confirm that the body was Noel, a well-known hairstylist at a spa in downtown Saint John.
Lavigne said the cause of death has not yet been determined and autopsy results are inconclusive.
“There was no evidence of trauma to the body,” she said. “There was no evidence of drowning, heart attack or anything like that.”
Noel, an experienced kayaker and a good swimmer, was not wearing a life jacket, which Lavigne said was not uncommon when Noel was paddling in the quiet, open waters he frequented, where other boats were easily visible from a distance.
Lavigne, a kayaker herself, said the weather was beautiful that day.
She believes the fact that Noel’s broken paddle floated with the kayak indicated he was in the kayak when it was hit.
Otherwise, she thought it was unlikely that the kayak and paddle would stay together, as the empty kayak would be swept away more quickly by the current and breeze.
Family seeks witnesses, safer voyage
Noel’s cousin, Avery Burnside-Curran of St. John’s, said she also suspected Noel was in the kayak, but without more information, the family worried police couldn’t give a definitive answer.
They are asking any witnesses or anyone with security video that may assist with the investigation to contact RCMP.
“We just want some closure on what happened,” said Burnside-Curran, who called Noel’s death a “real shock” and a “huge loss.”
Burnside-Curran said family members also called for greater awareness of boat safety and stricter rules and enforcement.
Even though the boat’s impact didn’t kill Noll, the boat still struck the kayak, she said.
A teen also died in a recent boating accident off the coast of the Richibucto community in eastern New Brunswick. Police say Miguel Vincent Mina Estrada, 19, of St. Louis de Kent, was struck by a boat in the water on July 27 and died at the scene.
“Ultimately, we hope that even if we can share (Craig’s) story further, we hope that it can have some impact on marine safety — maybe a call to action for other boaters out there on the water to make sure they’re being careful and responsible and that operating a boat safely is just as important as operating a car safely,” Burnside-Curran said.
Since Noel’s death, many kayakers have shared stories of their “close calls with motorboat drivers” and of motorboat drivers “not paying attention to kayakers” or not giving them enough space, she said.
“It seems like there’s more speedboat and Sea-Doo traffic throughout the river system than ever before,” she said, worrying that without “greater awareness and enforcement of boating laws,” swimmers and kayakers will be put in danger.
“I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
Proposed Boating “Allen’s Law”
Lavigne believes the two recent deaths should serve as a wake-up call to politicians and the RCMP.
“Even one unnecessary death is one too many.”
Lavigne, who has kayaked nearly every weekend in New Brunswick for several summers with her wife and Noel, said they recently discussed how “it feels a little like the Wild West out there.”
We have to keep our heads above water at all times…and it can be scary.– Tracey Lavigne, close friend and kayaker
“People were driving really fast,” she said.
“We had to be vigilant at all times and stay away from them because sometimes we felt as if the crew wasn’t looking out for us.
“It’s very concerning, especially when you’re in a narrower section of the river like Hampton Marsh, where there are twists and turns and you can’t see the turns. It can be scary.”
She would like to see bicycle-specific legislation similar to Allen’s bill to protect non-motorized users of waterways.
The Allen Act of 2017which stipulates that drivers must leave at least one meter of space for cyclists when overtaking, otherwise it is an illegal act. After Alan Waters’s deathThe 28-year-old was a rising star in Canadian cycling when he was hit by a motorist in December 2016 while training in Sussex.
RCMP: Speed not a factor
Escuillier said RCMP had no reason to believe speed was a factor in the collision between the kayak and the boat, and that “no signs of intoxication were found.”
He could not reveal how fast the boat was travelling because the investigation was ongoing.
He also could not immediately say whether there was a speed limit in the area.
Transport Canada also did not immediately respond to a request for that information.
But spokesperson Hicham Laayoune did confirm that regulations allow any level of government — federal, provincial, territorial or municipal — to ask the federal government to restrict the use of pleasure craft or commercial vessels in any Canadian waters.
He said restrictions were imposed to address safety concerns, protect the environment or in the public interest.
These regulations may include prohibiting all boat traffic and setting speed limits, limiting engine power, or restricting or prohibiting sporting or recreational activities or equipment.
Water enforcement ‘quite limited’
Escuillier said he had no data showing whether motor vehicle traffic on the waterway had increased, or if boat accidents had increased.
He did say, however, that there are a lot of “less skilled” kayakers and paddlers.
He said RCMP enforcement efforts on the water are “fairly limited” and do not include regular patrols.
“We always want to be there everywhere. But with the people and equipment we have, we do our best to put resources where they are needed most,” he said, listing communities and incidents that have been problematic in the past.
Escuillier said the RCMP is awaiting final autopsy results before deciding whether to ask the public for help, but encouraged anyone with information to call.
“We want to find out the truth for the families of the deceased and for our own sake.”
Meanwhile, Burnside-Curran said Noel’s loved ones are struggling to overcome their grief.
“It’s been really hard to process that he’s not coming back,” she said.
Her “cool cousin,” who studied film after studying hairdressing and lived in Ottawa and Toronto before returning to St. John’s about 10 years ago, has a knack for saying “just the right words to make you feel heard and understood,” and a sense of humor that “lights up a room.”
She said she was touched to hear about all the lives he had impacted.
Noel, Lavigne said, was “very easy to love.”
“He always made the room laugh. I think one of the things we miss the most right now is laughter.”
Noll’s funeral is scheduled for Monday. A memorial service for his life will be scheduled at a later date.
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