Canada

Quebec sees 4 drownings in 48 hours

It was tragedy after tragedy this weekend after four people drowned in separate incidents in Quebec.

A teenage girl and three elderly men died within the same 48 hours.

Workers at the Super Aqua Club were grief-stricken on Friday night after a 14-year-old girl drowned on site.

The aquatic center, located about 50 km east of Montreal in Pointe-Calumet, was closed Saturday while maintenance services were offered to employees.

A few hours away, in the Laurentians, a 28-year-old man was rescued from a body of water on Saturday and taken to hospital in critical condition, where he later died of his injuries.

That same day, a 49-year-old man went missing in the Morrissey area of ​​Quebec while swimming in the Bastican River.

His body was discovered Sunday morning, just hours before another Quebec man was confirmed dead.

This 43-year-old man was seriously injured after he swung from a rope into the waters of Sablon beach in Saint-Polycarp.

He was also transported to hospital, but died shortly afterwards.

Speaking to CTV News on Saturday — when only two of the four incidents were reported — the general manager of the Quebec Life Saving Society urged swimmers to be vigilant, even when diving by accident.

One piece of advice he shared: never swim alone.

“50 percent of all drowning victims… [regardless of] gender, your age, your boating or swimming activity — they were alone,” Raynald Hawkins said.

He said wearing a life jacket is critical if you’re not a confident swimmer.

“It’s not just for kids. It’s for teenagers and also for adults.’