Swimmer remains missing from St. Lawrence River near Montreal
An unidentified man went missing Friday while swimming in the St. Lawrence River in Montreal.
911 was called around 3:35 p.m. concerning a swimmer in distress near the Concorde Bridge in the Old Port.
Estimated to be in his thirties or forties, the man was reportedly calling for help as he was swept away by the current. At that point, he was too far from the shore for onlookers to come to his aid, according to Montreal police (SPVM).
Witnesses saw the man go under the water but did not see him come back up.
He was last spotted in an area behind Habitat 67, a region popular with surfers, the SPVM said.
A FAMILIAR FACE
Audrey Ruel-Manseau was surfing nearby when the man disappeared.
"He was making peace signs to the people on the shore, he was enjoying his time. And then suddenly, a current just kind of grabbed him and he disappeared," she told CTV News.
"He was waving his hands and asking for help, but it went very fast."
Ruel-Manseau said he was a regular in the area, taking pictures while people surfed, but she doesn't know him personally.
The man remains unidentified.
SEARCH CALLED OFF
Three boats from the Montreal fire department, as well as a police boat and coast guard boat, were on the waters Friday evening attempting to locate the swimmer.
But the search was called off Friday night and throughout the day Saturday, as the current grew too strong to safely navigate the waters.
A search is underway for a man who went missing while swimming in the St. Lawrence River in Montreal. (CTV News)
"We have to think about the safety of the people who are searching, and also, according to the specialist, if someone is imported by the current when it is extremely strong, the possibility that someone is still here after all these hours is kind of low," said SPVM spokesperson Veronique Comtois.
The SPVM said the man likely drowned.
There have been 42 drownings in Quebec so far this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.