Six-year-old boy dies after sledding accident at Chambly park

A six-year-old boy has died after a sledding accident Monday afternoon at a park in Chambly, on Montreal’s South Shore, just as spring break got underway.

Emergency services were called shortly before 3 p.m. to the toboggan hill at Robert-Lebel Park, behind the arena.

The child reportedly lost control while sliding down the hill and crashed into a pole separating the run from the parking lot, suffering severe head injuries and significant blood loss. The child went into cardiorespiratory arrest during transport to hospital in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

“We are devastated, as is the whole community of Chambly,” Chambly Mayor Alexandra Labbé told CityNews Tuesday.

“It certainly breaks our hearts when it involves a child. Our thoughts are with the family. We offer our sincere condolences to all the family and friends.

“It reminded us that life is very fragile.”

Just after 5 p.m., Sgt. Marie-Eve Boulanger, a spokesperson for the Richelieu Saint-Laurent Intermunicipal Police Board, confirmed the child died following the accident.

“I was very upset because I’ve got two grandchildren, one’s four and the other one’s six,” said Chambly resident Kenneth Hebert. “And the child that died yesterday was a six-year-old.”

Flowers and a teddy bear were placed near the closure signs by late Tuesday morning – a small memorial marking a loss that has shaken the community.

“All we can do is stand wholeheartedly with the family, and with everyone who lived through this. I’m also thinking of those who witnessed it and had to respond,” said Mayor Labbé.

A coroner’s investigation will also examine the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

“We are cooperating with the authorities,” Labbé said.

“We will almost certainly have to respond to recommendations from the coroner’s office. I would say that it is too early to comment on the measures at this time. We will wait for the response.”

Police secured the area and closed the hill for the rest of the day while investigators worked to determine the circumstances.

The toboggan hill, skating rink and ice rink remained closed Tuesday “as a precaution,” and would remain closed “until further notice,” the city wrote in a social media post. “Indoor activities at the Robert-Lebel Sports Centre are continuing as normal.”

The City of Chambly has previously noted the site is unsupervised and recommends adult supervision.

“While designed for safety, it remains an open and unsupervised site,” the city wrote on its website specifically about the sledding at Robert-Lebel Park. “Adults are advised to accompany children and dress them warmly, as the hill is exposed to the wind.”

As residents process the tragedy, many are asking how sledding hills can be made safer. Safety officials say runs should end in wide-open spaces, far from roads, parking lots or obstacles, and riders should never slide toward streets or snowbanks.

Hebert believes there “has to be changes” to the toboggan hill.

“The side where the child went up and went down is the side where, I think it’s where they go up by themselves and they come down afterwards. So yes, this should be a little bit more structured in the assessment for the descent of the children and people.

“My daughter-in-law, with both children, will think about it this week, because I don’t think they’ll be going up the rest of the year.”

Spring break safety warning

The death comes just a week after the Montreal Children’s Hospital Trauma Centre issued a winter safety warning ahead of spring break, urging families to take extra precautions.

“When it comes to winter activities, while the snow can provide endless fun, without proper precautions, injuries certainly can occur and selecting the right environment is critical,” said Debbie Friedman, the trauma director at the Children’s.

“Many of the serious toboggan injuries occur with contact with an obstacle, be it a park bench, be it a pole, be it bales of hay, a tree, rocks or whatnot.”

Since November, more than 200 kids and teens have been treated for injuries related to winter activities, with head trauma a major concern.

“In the cases that we’ve had, looking at them this morning since November, only 20 per cent of the tobogganing traumas that came in were wearing helmets, and that’s a pretty low number.”

Quebec coroner Dr. André-H. Dandavino has been tasked with investigating.

“At the conclusion of his investigation, if he deems it appropriate, the coroner may also make recommendations, which are preventative measures designed to protect human life and avoid deaths in similar circumstances,” the coroner’s office told CityNews.