Two missing Quebec firefighters swept away in flooded river identified

A major search for two missing firefighters continued for a second day Tuesday after they were swept away by a current in a flooded Quebec river.

The two missing volunteer firefighters are Christopher Lavoie, 23, and Régis Lavoie, who is in his 50s, Noovo Info has confirmed.

Their identities have not been released by police but family members have begun sharing details about the men who put their lives on the line to save others amid devastating spring flooding in the Charlevoix region, northeast of Quebec City.

The father of Christopher Lavoie, still in shock Tuesday, said his son has been a volunteer firefighter for about two years. He was critical of the fact that his son was deployed in the raging waters since he does not know how to swim.

"Christopher always had a passion to help people, which is why he wanted to volunteer as a first responder," said the father.

The two firefighters were both assisting people whose homes were being evacuated when they were swept away by floodwaters in Saint-Urbain, Que. Several homes were evacuated after local roads were washed out.

Drone footage showed roads cuts in half as swollen rivers carried debris through swift currents.

• Listen on CJAD 800: This Baie-Saint-Paul resident watched his community wash away

The desperate search for the firefighters involves more than 25 officers from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), according to Public Safety Minister François Bonnardel, who visited the Saint-Urbain Tuesday.

"There are ground teams that were on the ground last night. We continue the search to be able to find these missing people as soon as possible," said Bonnardel during a morning press conference.

“We still have to have hope …We are doing all that we can to find these missing people; we know that it is not easy, everything that's happening in a community that's so tightly knit."

Firemen line up by the Bas-du-Nord river as the bridge is closed because of flooded roads, Monday, May 1, 2023 in Baie Saint-Paul, Quebec. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

"This is awful and tragic. It reminds us of the role of first responders. All our thoughts are with the families of these two firefighters," said Premier François Legault, who is scheduled to visit Baie-Saint-Paul Wednesday morning with the MNA for Charlevoix-Côte-de-Beaupré, Kariane Bourassa.

The Mares River flows through Highway 138 after a major spring flood forced the closing of roads and major highway, Tuesday, May 2, 2023 in Baie Saint-Paul Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

The city, just south of Saint-Urbain, has declared a state of emergency due to the spring flooding and is now under the threat of a rainfall warning issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

An additional 10 to 20 mm of rain is expected in the area by Wednesday, before the precipitation becomes mixed with snow overnight.

"Rapidly rising rivers and creeks can sweep away bridges, culverts, buildings, and people. Landslides may occur in vulnerable areas such as steep slopes," the weather agency warned Tuesday night.

"Don't approach washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts. Be prepared should you need to evacuate your residence for a prolonged period."

Quebec's Public Security Department said five communities in Lanaudière had declared states of emergency, including Chertsey, St-Jean-de-Matha and Mandeville. Fort Coulonge, in western Quebec, was also under an emergency declaration.

St-Côme, in Quebec's Lanaudière region, is also under a state of emergency.

Footage of the flooding captured by onlookers shows recreational vehicles being swept away by the river. But for the owner of the Genévrier campground — an important tourist destination in the community — the floodwaters washed away a family-run, 50-year-old business.

“It's 50 years of work by the family to build a business that is a jewel of the Charlevoix region in terms of tourism business with great fame and reputation," an emotional Bruno Labbé told The Canadian Press. "To see so much work destroyed in such a short time, there are no words to describe it."

With files from Noovo Info and The Canadian Press