Quebec firefighters who died in 2023 flood lacked training, equipment: safety board
Two volunteer firefighters who died trying to rescue two people trapped by floodwaters northeast of Quebec City last May lacked proper training and equipment, Quebec's workplace safety board has found.
The May 1 rescue attempt was not well planned and the amphibious vehicle used by the firefighters was inappropriate for the operation, the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail said in its report released Thursday.
"The lack of training to carry out work near or on water exposed the firefighters to the risk of drowning when they didn't have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience," inspectors Caroline Pelchat and François Lachance concluded.
According to the report, the two men, who were identified last year as 23-year-old Christopher Lavoie and 55-year-old Regis Lavoie — and who were not related — had received firefighter training related only to fires. They were attempting to rescue two people trapped in a home in the small community of St-Urbain, Que., by rapidly rising floodwaters when they drowned.
Their amphibious vehicle, which was owned by one of the men, was equipped with tracks and an outboard motor, and only meant to be used on calm water. The safety board's report said the current of the swollen Gouffre River swept the vehicle off course and into a tree; the men then tried to grab hold of a branch but were thrown into the river.
During the attempted rescue the two men were wearing protective equipment for firefighting, which limited their ability to swim. Two life-jackets were later found near the vehicle, but neither had been worn or adjusted to fit over firefighting gear, Pelchat and Lachance said.
As well, the report said that even if the firefighters had reached the home, the weight of four people would have been more than their vehicle was built to handle.
Pelchat and Lachance also found flaws with St-Urbain's emergency plan, which they said was not set in motion that day — and did not include safety measures for floods.
"The absence of preventive planning to manage flooding led to poor management of the response, resulting in the drowning of two firefighters," the report said.
Among the board's recommendations is that Quebec's firefighting academy include rescues near water in its mandatory training programs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
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.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.