2 dead after drowning in Lachine Canal over the weekend: coroner

The two people who fell in and were pulled from the Lachine Canal over the weekend have died, the Quebec Coroner’s office confirmed Monday.

The pair was hospitalized in critical condition after being recovered in a search operation involving the Montreal Fire Department (SIM) and the Canadian Coast Guard, according to fire officials.

The SIM says according to preliminary information, one person fell into the water and the second one tried to help them. The deaths mark the 23rd and 24th drownings in the province this year.

In an email to CityNews, a spokesperson said, “Coroner Maxime Richer has been tasked with conducting an investigation to determine the causes and circumstances surrounding these deaths. We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families and all those affected.”

At this time, the coroner’s office is not identifying the victims.

“It’s horrible, because, well, I think about those two young people, their lives have been completely ruined. That’s it, it’s over for them, and it’s a shame,” said Lachine resident Fabienne Bois.

“It’s very disturbing and unfortunate,” added Jessica Laflamme-Laberge. “I’m here every day, so it’s quite disturbing that it’s happening. There’s a lot of people who swim here and do nautical activities, so it’s really concerning.”

The initial call came in at 11:55 p.m. on Saturday that two individuals had fallen into the canal near Parc René-Lévesque, where the Lachine Canal meets the Saint Lawrence River in Lachine.

“We received a call around midnight, during the night between Saturday and Sunday,” said Benjamin Dansereau-Leclerc, a spokesperson for Urgences-santé.

“After two hours of intensive research from the firefighters on the scene, they picked up the two persons in the canal Lachine.”

SIM said approximately 20 to 30 responders were involved in the operation. The search included two fire department boats and a Canadian Coast Guard vessel, which alternated throughout the operation.

In a statement to CityNews, a spokesperson for the Canadian Coast Guard, Craig Macartney, said its boat crew from Beaconsfield worked with the firefighters in the operation.

Using sonar equipment on one of its boats, crews located and recovered the two individuals, who were then transferred to Urgences-santé for treatment and transport to hospital.

“The Canadian Coast Guard crew located the two people in the water with no vital signs,” Macarteny said. “They were retrieved by the Montreal Fire Department’s dive team.”

The operation concluded at approximately 2:02 a.m. Sunday.

The events that led to the drownings are not clear, but the coroner’s office says at the conclusion of the investigation, there may be recommendations for measures aimed at preventing deaths in similar circumstances.

Recent research by the Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada shows that about seven people die in Canada a year trying to save someone else from drowning.

“If you didn’t receive any training program, please don’t try it,” said Raynald Hawkins, the executive director of the Lifesaving Society’s Quebec branch. “Contact 911. Try to find any floatation device, and try to reach the victim outside of the water, not necessarily inside the water.

“Usually, canal, this is a deep side, not necessarily the shallow end, so it’s not very appropriate to try to do those bathing or swimming activities inside that. And partially during the evening, where no one can find you if you fell down, for example, or if you have any difficulty. But again, I think we need to wait for the coroner investigation to see exactly what happened.”