A body...drifts off

Three hundred metres from the island, a wave overturned the boat into the St. Lawrence River. The two men were able to cling to the boat’s floating hull but the older man who experienced fatigue after two hours of struggling, decided to let go; he was carried away by the river’s strong currents. His name was Jean-Marie Fortier, a 51-year old resident of Verdun; police, however, have not yet confirmed his identity.

Mr. Fortier’s brother, who was supposed to join the two of them in the afternoon, went to pick up his surviving 37-year old cousin who was still hanging on to the boat and was suffering from hypothermia. He was later taken to Verdun Hospital where he was confined overnight.

Massive searches were carried out that day until dark in efforts to look for the missing person, but all proved to be in vain. The Coast Guard, policemen and firemen sent off search boats; helicopters and divers were also deployed. The vessel was brought back to the marina at the end of the day.

Rescue operations resumed the next morning, but the search was limited to the river bank. “Because of the current, the divers could not continue their search”, said Olivier Lapointe, public relations officer for the Montreal Police Service Department. “The chances for survival are almost zero after being submerged 24 hours in cold waters.”

Located in the heart of Lachine Rapids, l’île aux Hérons is surrounded by strong and fast currents and waves. “The level and flow of the river are unusually high during this critical period”, explained Borough Councillor Marc Touchette who went to the site as soon as he was notified. According to the information gathered from persons in the marina at that time, the two men were known to be frequent visitors to l’île aux Hérons for a long time.