RCMP has reported that a man, 63, has died after his snowmobile went through the harbour ice in Hopedale on Thursday.

Several people witnessed the accident around 3 p.m. and raced to attempt a rescue.

Police said the police received several calls on Thursday from residents reporting the incident.

Cpl. Jonathan Kenny said some of the people who pulled the man from the water were relatives of the man, and others knew him for years.

"It's hard on everyone," he said. "Fortunately, there's a lot of support here and when something like this happens, everyone seems to come together."

According to Kenny, the man was very knowledgeable about ice and ice safety.

The witnesses were able to remove the man from the water after some time, but he was unresponsive.

CPR was performed on the man and he was transported to the local clinic, but medical staff were unable to revive him.