Snowmobiler dies in Quebec’s Harricana River on Christmas Eve

(Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash)

Quebec provincial police (SQ) reported Friday that a snowmobiler lost his life on Christmas Eve in the Harricana River in Amos, Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

Emergency services were dispatched to the Harricana River near the boat landing at around 11:15 a.m. on Dec. 24 after a caller reported a snowmobile helmet near a water hole.

First responders were able to observe snowmobile tracks travelling on the river from north to south, stopping at the exact location of the water hole, added the provincial police.

Several objects were also found near the hole, including the helmet reported earlier, as well as mittens and boots. Police launched a search of the area in an attempt to locate where the snowmobile had come from.

The SQ said that at the time that no missing person report had been received by its services.

On Dec. 25, divers were sent to the scene and, at around 4 p.m., recovered the lifeless body of a man in his 40s.

The cause of death will have to be determined by a coroner, adds the SQ.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 27, 2024.