NATASHQUAN, QUE. -- A man in his twenties has been missing since Friday evening on Quebec's North Shore, when he ventured into the Natashquan River to retrieve a drifting canoe.
Around 5:30 p.m. Friday, police were notified that a man had gone under the water in the river, said Sûreté du Québec (SQ) spokesperson Louis-Phillipe Bibeau.
Bibeau said the victim, a 22-year-old Montrealer, and two other young men were standing on the riverbank when their boat was swept away by the current. He then allegedly tried to stop it by running into the river, but became engulfed by the waters.
He was not wearing his flotation jacket when he jumped into the water. One of his companions attempted to rescue him, but had to turn back to avoid getting caught in the waters himself, Bibeau said.
A search was initiated by boat patrols and park rangers lined the banks. A Coast Guard helicopter was deployed Saturday to search for the man by air.
On Saturday morning, SQ divers were heading to the scene to begin an underwater search.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 21, 2021.
