Quebec provincial police find body of five-year-old who fell in river

Sûreté du Québec (SQ) divers found the lifeless body of a five-year-old child who had fallen into the Saint-Maurice River in the Mauricie region at noon on Monday.

"Divers went to the last point where the child had been seen, and located his body a few metres away," explained Sûreté du Québec (SQ) spokesperson Sgt. Éloïse Cossette in an interview. "The child was pulled from the water and taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead."

An autopsy will be performed, and the police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy.

Police were searching for the child since Sunday evening.

The toddler and his brother, aged under 10, were playing by the water near Zéphirin-Doucet Street in Grandes-Piles when the younger of the two fell into the river in an area with little current, according to police.

"It was an area they knew, but they had never gone that far before," said Cossette. "Unfortunately, the shoreline is a cliff, so the youngest child fell into the water."

The older brother went to get help and told the adults what had happened.

From that moment on, a search began for the younger brother, involving firefighters, patrol officers and the SQ helicopter. Citizens who volunteered to help also joined the search. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Oct. 2, 2023.