Montreal firefighter missing in St. Lawrence River after boat capsizes during rescue mission
CBC
Search and rescue teams are looking for a missing firefighter who fell into the St. Lawrence River during a rescue mission near the Lachine rapids Sunday evening.
Earlier, at 7:09 p.m., the Montreal fire department (SIM) received a call for a broken down boat drifting upstream of the rapids with two people on board, according to SIM spokesperson Louise Desrosiers.
Four firefighters responded to the distress signal and picked up the two people who had called for help. At around 7:30 p.m., the rescue boat itself capsized.
Rescue workers were able to recover everyone on board except the firefighter, who remains missing as of Sunday night.
The five other people on board were taken to hospital where "there is no reason to fear for their lives," said Fabienne Papin, a spokesperson for the city of Montreal.
Several units are involved in the search and rescue, including Montreal police's nautical unit, the Canadian Coast Guard, and a Sûreté du Québec helicopter.
Montreal firefighters, along with fire departments from Longueuil, Varennes, La Prairie, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Châteauguay, are also helping with the operation.
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