Quebec firefighters who drowned in water rescue lacked training, says workplace safety board

A lack of training, preventive planning and poor response management resulted in the deaths of two firefighters last year, says Quebec's workplace health and safety board.

An investigation into the deaths of Régis Lavoie, 55, and Christopher Lavoie, 23, — who were not related — also found that they didn't use or have the proper equipment to intervene in a water rescue. 

In May 2023, the part-time firefighters in the town of Saint-Urbain, located 100 kilometres northeast of Quebec City, were helping residents trapped by rising river levels when they were caught in the current.

The Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) released more details about their deaths on Thursday, confirming that the firefighters were swept away and submerged after their amphibious ATV became trapped against a tree by the current, while they were en route to a residence to carry out a rescue operation.

Since the municipality's boat was already being used for other operations, it was decided that the firefighters would use one of their own vehicles. The vehicle, which was equipped with tracks and an outboard motor, was used inappropriately said the CNESST, considering the firefighters were venturing into a large body of water with a strong current.

"The management of the response, both at the municipal and fire department level, has some gaps that led to the vehicle being put in the water," says CNESST inspector Caroline Pelchat.

She said the municipality has no specific plan for flood response even though it experiences annual floods.

The CNESST also found that the men were not wearing any flotation devices. It notes that the available life-jackets were not adjusted to be worn over firefighting equipment. 

The report does not cast blame on the firefighters, instead pointing to the need for better training. 

Last year, Régis Lavoie's family raised questions about whether he was prepared for the dangerous flooded environment he found himself in when he died. The two men were wearing heavy firefighting gear and were driving Regis's personal vehicle, the amphibious ATV.

"To prevent accidents during interventions on or near water, municipalities have to ensure their firefighters are properly trained and equipped to intervene in a secure manner," read the report.

The safety board concludes that the municipality was not well prepared for emergency situations such as water rescue. The report notes the head of fire safety for the town wasn't made aware of his role in the municipality's security plan. 

"Despite the forecast of rain, the municipality was not adequately prepared on May 1, 2023 to face the different possible hazards," read the report.

The board is recommending that Quebec's firefighting school address the issue of working near water through compulsory fire safety training courses in Firefighter 1 and 2 courses.