Two lifeguards were fired after they were caught using their cellphones while on duty at a beach in Ile Bizard.
A beachgoer at the Bois-de-l'Ile-Bizard nature park took a photo of a young man and woman, both on duty, looking down at their phones while sitting on the lifeguard chair.
The picture, taken Sunday, was posted to Facebook and viewed thousands of times.
Both lifeguards were fired Tuesday morning.
“At the city of Montreal we take the situation very seriously and this behaviour was unacceptable to us,” said city spokesperson Jacques-Alain Lavallee, “especially due to the fact that right now we're witnessing a lot of drownings that are taking place in Quebec (this year).”
Forty-five people have drowned in the province so far in 2012.
As recently as Wednesday, a five-year-old boy was rushed to hospital after he was found unconscious at Jean-Drapeau Park beach. He is currently in critical condition.
The Quebec Lifesaving Society, which certifies lifeguards, is looking into the texting case at Ile Bizard beach, and is planning to conduct its own investigation into the matter.
In the worst-case scenario the lifeguards could face de-certification.
“You cannot use cellphones when you are on duty, except for the emergency calls,” explained Raynald Hawkins, director of the Quebec branch of the Lifesaving Society.
“People’s lives are very important and the lifeguard’s attention should be applied to the people first,” he said.
