Quebec hunter dies when boat sinks on the Saint Lawrence River

Surete du Quebec search boat - FILE PHOTO

QUEBEC CITY -

A hunter in his 40s is dead and two others are suffering from hypothermia after the boat they were on capsized on the St. Lawrence River near Sainte-Croix in Chaudière-Appalaches.

Emergency services were called to rescue them Sunday at about 7 a.m.

"They left the north shore of the river in a boat to cross the river, which is very narrow here, to go duck hunting in the area and, for a reason that has yet to be determined, the water would have risen in the boat, causing the men to fall into the water," said Sûreté du Québec (SQ) spokesperson Louis-Philippe Bibeau.

Two of them were able to swim to shore, one man in his 20s and another in his 40s.

"They are safe and sound, but were transported to a hospital to treat for mild hypothermia," said Bibeau. "The third hunter was adrift. He was wearing a flotation vest."

An extensive search was undertaken by the Coast Guard, the SQ and fire departments from municipalities on the north and south shores of the river. An Armed Forces Hercules aircraft and a helicopter also flew over the area.

The body of an "inanimate" man was located and recovered from the river around 11:30 a.m. near St. Croix. The search was then called off.

The boat was still floating in the water in the early afternoon while authorities were trying to determine how they will remove it since the river is very narrow and shallow where it is located.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause and circumstances of the fatal sinking.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 28, 2021.