Yacht captain charged in connection to 2024 tourist drowning on St. Lawrence River: Montreal police
Posted October 2, 2025 12:45 pm.
Last Updated October 2, 2025 12:48 pm.
The captain of a yacht was in court Tuesday in connection with a fatal incident on the St. Lawrence River last year.
Montreal police say on the evening of July 6, 2024, 20 people were reportedly on a yacht for an excursion, when around 9:15 p.m., one person — a 33-year-old tourist from Colombia — fell into the river near the Jacques Cartier Bridge and died.
The tourist was not wearing a life jacket, and his body was recovered three days later near Promenade-Bellerive Park – in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
Through an investigation, SPVM was able to learn that there was a series of non-compliances regarding the yacht and its captain.
Montreal police took the 62-year-old captain into custody on May 6, 2025, but he was later released with conditions and a promise to appear in court at a later date.
On Sept. 30, he was officially charged with criminal negligence causing death.
Anyone with information related to this case that has not yet been shared with the police is encouraged to do so by contacting 911 or their local police station. It is also possible to contact Info-Crime Montréal anonymously and confidentially at 514-393-1133 or via the reporting form available on infocrimemontreal.ca.
