21-year-old man hospitalized after being found unconscious in Montreal pool
A 21-year-old man is in hospital after being found unconscious in an outdoor municipal pool in Montreal's Anjou borough early Monday morning.
Montreal police (SPVM) says it received a 911 call at 3:25 a.m. about an incident at Roger-Rousseau Park, at the intersection of Châteauneuf Boulevard and Rondeau Avenue.
"When police officers arrived onsite, they jumped into the water to rescue the victim and started CPR," explains Mariane Allaire Morin, a spokesperson with Montreal police.
Police added that he was with a 22-year-old woman at the time, and that they possibly jumped the fence to enter the pool, which was closed.
The man was transported to hospital in critical condition and officers say they fear for his life.
Quebec Lifesaving Society president Raynald Hawkins said his organization is working with the city to include nighttime surveilance of municipal pools.
"I think we need to work on education," he said.
Monday morning's incident comes just over a year after a 13-year-old boy drowned in the Maisonneuve Pool in Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve after he entered the pool after hours. That pool also had a secure fence surrounding the premise.
Hawkins is quick to stress water safety, particularly after a weekend that saw four people lose their lives in various bodies of water.
People need, he said, to learn how to swim.
"Based on the information data we've had in the last three days, they were non-swimmers," he said.
The Lifesaving Society wants swimming lessons incorporated into the school curriculum.
This year, 36 people drowned in the province, which is down from 40 at the same time last year. The drownings come as the province deals with a shortage of lifeguards due to training being halted during the pandemic.
Hawkins has a simple message for those wanting to jump into water after hours.
"When the pool is closed, please don't go there," he said. "It's not appropriate to try to have swimming activities at midnight."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Introducing peanut butter during infancy can help protect against a peanut allergy later on, new study finds
New evidence suggests that feeding children smooth peanut butter during infancy and early childhood can help reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy even years later.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there's a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
NEW Oilers superfan hopeful Edmonton wins so he can get his massive Stanley Cup tattoo retouched
It's been a long time coming, but one Oilers superfan is hoping this will be the year he gets to touch up his massive Stanley Cup back tattoo.
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.