A 51-year-old Ottawa area man has died after he collapsed on a trail while cross-country-skiing near Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, Quebec. He was participating in the Canadian Ski Marathon with his wife.
According to the president of the board of the Canadian Ski Marathon, Julie Boyer, they suspect the man suffered from a cardiac arrest.
The man skiing behind him happened to be a doctor and performed CPR right away.
When paramedics arrived on the scene they used a defibrillator, but they couldn’t resuscitate the man.
“He passed away while in transit to the hospital,” Boyer said.
Organizers say it’s unclear how long he’d been skiing because he was registered in the “Tourer” category which means he selected his own distance.
Around 1700 skiers are taking part in the two-day cross-province event.
31 first-aid paramedics are stationed along the trail which runs from Lachute to Gatineau.
“There’s also a snowmobile with a sleigh at each checkpoint and we have army cadets on site as well,” Boyer said.
Boyer says it’s the first time anyone has died during the Marathon’s 51 years.
The name of the man won’t be released until family members are contacted.
At the start of the marathon on Sunday organizers say they will hold a minute of silence and will also give a commemorative speech at the evening’s banquet.
They’re also thinking about a more permanent way to honor the skier next year.
