Coroner's inquest into death of Montreal firefighter begins with rescued boater
The coroner's inquest into the death of a Montreal firefighter began Monday morning in Joliette, Que. by hearing from one of the boaters Lacroix was trying to save when he died.
Pierre Lacroix died on Oct. 17, 2021 at age 58. He and his colleagues were trying to save the lives of two boaters in the St. Lawrence River when their rescue vessel capsized. His colleagues were saved, but Lacroix was trapped under the HammerHead rescue boat. His body was pulled from the water the following day.
Tommy Yi, in his early 20s, broke down Monday as he spoke of that night.
Yi said he had little boating experience, but he had earned his pleasure craft operator’s card about ten years ago as a teenager.
On the day of the rescue, Yi was trying out a boat from a seller in Rawdon, Que. He and a friend transported the vessel back to Montreal, where they placed it in the river near the Lachine Rapids.
In less than 10 minutes, the motor on the 35-year-old boat started to overheat and kept cutting out, Yi told the inquiry.
They called 911 for help.
LISTEN: A boater on the Lachine Rapids in Montreal calls 911 for a water rescue
Yi said they saw the firefighters’ boat coming to them as they drifted badly into the Lachine Rapids as the young man struggled to anchor the boat.
When the boat arrived, they saw four firefighters aboard. The firefighters threw him a rope and told him how to tie it, he said.
As he was attaching it, Yi said he felt a giant pull and saw the firefighters' boat capsize.
The waves were throwing them all over, he said.
He told the inquiry he was scared but managed to get his motor started.
In the dark, he was able to get to the firefighters and get three of them on the boat – but it was too late for Lacroix, who was already unconscious.
LISTEN: Boater speaks to 911 as Montreal firefighters’ rescue boat capsizes
Stéphanie Lacroix, the fallen firefighter’s daughter, was present at the inquiry Monday. She asked Yi some questions but also thanked him for telling his side of the story.
If he hadn’t gone back, she told him, the other three firefighters might not have survived either.
Those firefighters will also share their stories during the inquiry.
Quebec’s public security ministry awarded a posthumous medal of sacrifice to Lacroix.
In October, Quebec's workplace health and safety commission issued a report stating that the rescue boat used by the firefighters was not designed to operate in that part of the rapids.
Coroner Gehane Kamel is in charge of this inquiry that aims to shed light on the circumstances of his death. She will make recommendations for the future of water rescues, if necessary.
The Montreal firefighters association has already called for the complete suspension of the water rescue service until major corrections are made for the safety of its members.
Hearings will take place over the next two weeks.
- With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.