Montreal police find body of young man who went missing at Verdun Beach

Montreal police say they have found the body of a young man who went missing at Verdun Beach Monday afternoon, marking the second death at the popular swimming spot this month.

Police say a man in his 20s was reported missing from the waters of the St. Lawrence River in the Verdun borough around 4 p.m., right on the border of the beach's supervised swimming zone.

Searches involving the Montreal fire department and the Canadian Coast Guard lasted several hours, and the man was found around 8 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

His identity has not yet been confirmed and police say the death appears to be accidental. 

The coroner's office will investigate to establish the circumstances surrounding his death. 

In a Facebook post offering her condolences to the victim's family and loved ones, Verdun borough mayor Marie-Andrée Mauger said there's "nothing sadder" in her role as mayor than announcing a drowning and she urged residents to limit their swimming to the beach's supervised zone. 

"The weather is nice and warm, the beach is crowded, but let's remember that outside the supervised swimming area, the river is very dangerous and swimming conditions are very risky due to strong currents, variable depth and the uneven bottom," she wrote. 

She added swimming is supervised at the beach seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The man's death marks the second possible drowning at the small beach in Verdun this month. A 20-year-old man went missing in the waters on June 7 and police say a body was found last week. 

A 22-year-old man also drowned at the beach last August.