“It saddens us all”: the community of Saint-Lin-Laurentides is devastated by the tragic death of a little girl who fell into an industrial grain mixer on Friday on a family farm. The mayor of the municipality, Mathieu Maisonneuve, wants to work with the various levels of government so that such a tragedy does not occur again.
It must have been a day of celebration in the small municipality of Lanaudière.
Kiosks of all kinds had been erected in front of a community center on Saturday, on the occasion of the green day of Saint-Lin-Laurentides.
In the line to collect their vegetable plants and their seeds, however, the citizens had only one concern.
“Have you heard from the little one from last night?” “, says the mayor, Mathieu Maisonneuve, who was asked the question all day.
The day before, a 2-year-old girl fell into the industrial grain mixer of a family farm on the Joseph coast. She could not be saved.
Few details have been revealed about the accident. According to the information made public, the parents intervened quickly to rescue the child, in vain. His death was pronounced on the spot.
As protocol dictates when a child under the age of 6 dies, an investigation by the major crimes division of the Sûreté du Québec has been opened.
An autopsy will be performed on the body of the little victim in order to determine the exact cause of death.
“It’s a tragedy without a name. It saddens us, everyone. It’s a tragedy that reminds us how fragile and precious life is, ”drops Mathieu Maisonneuve in an interview with The Press.
The mayor says he has not yet spoken to the bereaved family, who operated agricultural production “for a long time” in Saint-Lin-Laurentides.
The day after the accident, the shock was still great in this tightly knit community. According to Mr. Maisonneuve, “everyone knows the rank” where the tragedy took place. “It touched everyone’s heart,” he says with emotion.
The first responders, among whom there are “fathers and mothers”, were particularly shaken by the scene they witnessed.
“Our people have shown incredible courage,” said the mayor.
Enhance security
This tragedy should be a reminder that agricultural producers use heavy and potentially dangerous machinery, believes Mathieu Maisonneuve.
Between 2000 and 2019, 285 agricultural-related deaths were recorded in Quebec, according to data from the National Institute of Public Health. And children are involved in 60% of deaths where farm machinery is involved.
This is the second accident to occur in this context this week alone. A 21-year-old young man was found dead on Monday near an agricultural machine in Saint-Jacques, also in the Lanaudière region.
With the support of other mayors, Mathieu Maisonneuve is committed to working with the various levels of government so that such a tragedy does not occur again. In particular, he gives the example of awareness campaigns.
“We have to take care of it. Our community, we want it alive. Young people are our next generation. We want them healthy,” pleaded the mayor.
Learn more
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- 180
- Number of deaths involving agricultural machinery between 2000 and 2019 in Quebec
Source: National Institute of Public Health of Quebec