A first victim would be to be deplored in connection with the ice storm on Wednesday. A sixty-year-old died crushed under the weight of a tree branch while he was busy behind his residence in Les Coteaux, in Montérégie.
An investigation has been opened by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), but the police force already indicates that no criminal element seems to be involved. It was officially the first death to be recorded by authorities in connection with the ice storm that fell in several regions of the province.
Around 10:30 a.m., the authorities were first called to go to the back of a residence on Principale Street, in Les Coteaux, on the other side of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Salaberry. -de-Valleyfield, in Montérégie. They found the unconscious sexagenarian there. Resuscitation maneuvers were started, but his death was pronounced on the spot.
According to the first information available, the man was busy cutting branches at the back of his residence when he was crushed by the weight of one of them.
The SQ insisted on recalling the importance of calling on professionals if certain situations involve dangerous maneuvers. Remember that about 15 to 25 mm of freezing rain fell on the Montérégie region on Thursday.
Calls for caution
At a press conference on Thursday, Prime Minister François Legault confirmed that a death had occurred in the Les Coteaux region. “We have a man who died trying to cut a branch. He received the branch, and he sadly passed away,” he said solemnly.
“We can not have a better justification to tell all Quebecers to be careful, whether with branches or wires,” persisted Mr. Legault.
Like Hydro-Québec and its outgoing CEO, Sophie Brochu, the head of government also reiterated the many calls for caution to the population, imploring in particular citizens to move away from power lines, and to move nearby vehicles if possible.
A word of order was given to the Sûreté du Québec and to the municipalities “so as not to give tickets” to motorists who would move their vehicles.