Two women drowned in separate incidents Saturday afternoon in Quebec, one in the Laurentians and the other in the Outaouais region. The first tragedy involved a kayaker and the second involved a woman travelling down the river in an inflatable tube.
Around 3 p.m. Saturday, emergency services were called to intervene on the Rivière du Nord in Saint-Adèle concerning a person in distress.
A group of six experienced kayakers had gathered to paddle down the river. While crossing the rapids, a 58-year-old woman's boat capsized, and she was trapped underwater despite wearing her life jacket, said provincial police (SQ) spokesperson Nicolas Scholtus.
The woman was transported to hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
An investigator was on the scene to determine the circumstances of the event.
A second drowning occurred Saturday afternoon in Waltham, in the Outaouais region.
Two women were floating down the Noire River on inflatable tubes. One of them dropped a personal item into the river and reportedly attempted to retrieve it by jumping into the water without a life jacket.
The 68-year-old woman lost consciousness in the water. She was also pronounced dead at hospital.
This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Aug. 14, 2022.
