Chambly canoe accident leaves 19-year-old man missing
Firefighters retrieve life jacket, paddle and the boat from water
Search crews are in the water today looking for an 19-year-old man who went missing following a canoeing accident in the Chambly Basin yesterday evening.
The woman took the life jacket and put it on, and then the wind and the waves brought the young man further on and then she lost sight of him.- Harry Waddup, Richelieu—St-Laurent police
It happened as the man and a 17-year-old woman were returning from dinner on the other side of the basin, near the marina in St-Mathias-sur-Richelieu.
At that point the winds picked up and the canoe capsized, police said.
There were life jackets in the canoe but neither was wearing one at the time. The two of them clung to the same life jacket for about an hour, police said.
The woman was rescued after neighbours heard her cries from the water at around 7:35 p.m.
She was taken to hospital and treated for shock and hypothermia.
Chambly firefighters searched the water until 1:30 a.m. and resumed their search this morning.
Last night they retrieved a blue life jacket, a canoe and a paddle from the water.
Police command post set up at Chambly Basin to resume search for missing 18-yr old canoeist. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbcmtl?src=hash">#cbcmtl</a> <a href="http://t.co/AWv0AcDVpT">pic.twitter.com/AWv0AcDVpT</a>
—@eliabbFirefighters gear up for search on Chambly Basin for missing 18-yr old canoeist. Search begins in minutes. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbcmtl?src=hash">#cbcmtl</a> <a href="http://t.co/T0qav0VScx">pic.twitter.com/T0qav0VScx</a>
—@eliabbwith files from Elias Abboud