The boat carrying Pierre Lacroix and three colleagues capsized while they were attempting to rescue two boaters in distress headed toward the Lachine rapids on Oct. 17, 2021.
There were a number of issues related to the nautical rescue mission that resulted in the death of a Montreal firefighter last year, according to Quebec’s workplace safety board.
Two inspectors from the Commission des normes de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) made the findings of their investigation public Thursday, listing three causes for the capsizing of a rescue boat and the subsequent drowning of Pierre Lacroix, 58, in October 2021.
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The boat, which carried Lacroix and three of his colleagues, capsized while they were attempting to rescue two boaters in distress headed toward the Lachine rapids on the evening of Oct. 17, 2021. While attempting to perform the rescue, the firefighters’ boat became trapped in the trough of a wave. Water engulfed the front, causing it to flip over, at which point all four firefighters were thrown into the river. Three were fished out shortly thereafter, but Lacroix was missing. His body was discovered trapped beneath the boat the following morning.
According to the CNESST, the capsizing was the result of a combination of the weight distribution of the firefighters (two were in the middle of the boat and two were in front, causing it to lean forward), the fact that it was quickly engulfed in water and its position within the wave. The board also cited a lack of training and an intervention based on incomplete information as reasons for the accident.
The report notes the motor stalled right before the boat capsized — as the firefighters were attempting to tow the other boat — because it wasn’t made or tested for such operations.
Firefighters were navigating through part of the river they haven’t been authorized to venture into since 2010, when the capsizing of a boat of the same type occurred and a number of recommendations were made in response. At the time, the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) included the zone in its GPS system and ensured personnel used it. In October 2021, the firefighters didn’t use a GPS, the CNESST said — but even if they had, the prohibited area was no longer included in the system.
The board also said practices for rescues occurred during the day, when the water was calm and near the docks, leaving staff unprepared for nighttime situations in choppy waters.
“During our investigation, we discovered that some firefighters did towings, others didn’t,” said CNESST inspector Éric Dupont. “There were no clear directives surrounding towing. What did we find ourselves with? We found ourselves with an improvised towing that was undertaken with a boat that wasn’t certified for that use, in a prohibited zone, in conditions that surpassed the limits of the boat.”
A number of corrective measures were put in place by the CNESST, including indefinitely prohibiting firefighters from venturing into a larger portion of the river that was previously accessible to them but off limits to boaters, until the SIM can prove it can carry out its operations without putting employees at risk.
The board will also be fining the city between $17,680 and $70,727 under the law on health and safety in the workplace.
“We can’t forget that the SIM has to ensure the health and safety of workers,” said Dupont. “It’s not because it offers this kind of service that it can push aside the health and safety of its workers.”
The head of public security with the city of Montreal’s executive committee, Alain Vaillancourt, said Thursday afternoon in response to the report that the city will “take the time to analyze it, to examine every aspect of what needs to be corrected.”
He added that the SIM has taken the boats in question out of service while verifications are performed.
“It’s too early to draw conclusions, but we will get to the bottom of it,” Vaillancourt said. “The SIM has already implemented several actions since October 2021 to further reduce the risk to firefighters. We look forward to hearing the findings and recommendations that come from these various investigations, all of which aim to improve firefighter safety.”
Quebec coroner Géhane Kamel has also been appointed to preside over a public inquiry.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
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