A four-year-old boy died Sunday after drowning in a swimming pool in a backyard in Laval.
Residents called 911 shortly before 3:00 p.m. Sunday when they pulled the boy out of the pool on Des Capucines St. in the Ste. Dorothée neighbourhood.
Police were first to arrive on the scene and officers performed CPR until paramedics showed up and took over.
Paramedics rushed the boy to hospital where his death was confirmed.
According to police, there were adults in the yard at the time of the drowning but it's not clear if anyone else was in the pool.
Police are no longer commenting on the case since it is now in the hands of the provincial coroner.
Arm's reach of children
Raynald Hawkins of the Quebec Lifesaving Society said that parents should stay very close to young children in the water, no matter how well they swim.
"Usually we have an expression 'arm's reach;' if you're not in arm's reach position of your kid that means you're too far," said Hawkins.
"You cross the street in arm's reach position. You cannot play in the street without any adult supervision. It is the same reality with a backyard pool."
There have been at least 30 drowning deaths in Quebec this year, a 20 per cent increase from the same time last year.
According to the Quebec Lifesaving Society, one of the reasons for the increase is that 10 of the drownings occurred in rivers with high water levels. Those water levels can lead to stronger currents, making swimming conditions particularly challenging.
"That's why we've always said if it's not fixed for bathing activity... meaning with lifeguard on duty, you have to make sure you're going to use your personal flotation device," said Hawkins.
