Report on the death of firefighter Pierre Lacroix | “There was one victim, there could have been six”

Coroner Géhane Kamel lists recommendations in her report on the death of firefighter Pierre Lacroix

Better training for firefighters for nautical rescues, requirements for boaters and more clarity in the line of command: coroner Géhane Kamel released her investigation report on the death of firefighter Pierre Lacroix on Thursday.

He lost his life during an attempt to rescue two drifting boaters in the Lachine rapids in October 2021. His death had shocked Quebec.

“All the witnesses described him as a careful, conscientious and unifying firefighter”, writes M^e Kamel. This father of two children was a “committed man for whom the rescue mission was tattooed on his heart”.

In a 55-page report, the coroner traces the chilling chronology of this October 17.

The boaters left Saint-Louis Park, in Lachine, for a short trip. Their engine then overheated and stopped. They tried several times to make it work while drifting. At 7:05 p.m., as darkness set in, they dialed 911.

Boaters knew of the existence of the Lachine Rapids, “but none of them measured the deadly potential. This situation [à] it alone is problematic and demonstrates that citizens are not on the lookout for the dangers of navigation on the river,” laments Ms.^e Kamel.

A rescue that turns to tragedy

At 7:17 p.m., four firefighters from the Montreal Fire Department (SIM), including Pierre Lacroix, launched their boat, a Hammerhead 1864, and headed as quickly as possible towards the drifting boaters.

The coroner noted several shortcomings in the firefighters’ equipment (lack of signaling beacons, ineffective warning light, absence of waterproof portable VHF radio). Two boats should also have left together.

The towing attempt turned tragic. The Hammerhead finds itself in the hollow of a wave, the yachtsmen’s boat at the top of it. The two boats collide, water rushes into the Hammerhead, which capsizes.

Three firefighters find themselves under the hull, while a fourth is ejected and goes adrift. The body of Pierre Lacroix will be fished out the next morning, under the hull. Death by drowning.

Formation and exclusion zone

“On the evening of October 17, 2021, none of the firefighters had swift water training and the command post did not have officers qualified in water rescue. There was one victim, there could have been six, ”denounces M^e Kamel.

Since then, the SIM has undertaken to set up a team of firefighters specialized in water and ice rescue, the report states.

The establishment of an exclusion zone in the St. Lawrence River, where boaters could go at their own risk, had been recommended by a previous report from the CNESST. M^e Kamel brings certain nuances.

“We now know that firefighters will do everything humanly possible to save lives,” she wrote. Ultimately, the crew of the boat could decide on an intervention deemed urgent and, in this case, they must be able to deal with a possible capsizing or rescue. It is not enough to prohibit an area, the firefighters must be prepared for all eventualities. »

Its recommendation is therefore to “review the danger zone of the SIM by ensuring that the firefighters can rescue shipwrecked people there in the event of an emergency”.

Recommendations that cast a wide net

The coroner also addresses recommendations to all the authorities that were directly or indirectly involved in the rescue.

“That evening, it was a mess,” testified Mr. Bélisle of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). “This evening illustrated the importance of reviewing the agreements between the partners in terms of each person’s responsibilities, but also of setting up simulations to test their rescue and coordination plans during major events,” notes Ms.^e Kamel.

To the cities of the Montreal agglomeration, the coroner recommends mapping and better signaling the danger zones in the watercourses.

At the Ministry of Public Security, she suggests establishing good practices for nautical rescues for the province’s fire departments.

Regarding the SIM, in addition to reviewing the training of firefighters, Mr.^e Kamel suggests equipping each boat with a service cell phone, and personal equipment with a GPS beacon.

The coroner also appealed to the Canadian Coast Guard about the Lachine Rapids signage. Finally, it urges Transport Canada to review the procedures for obtaining a boater’s competency card. This card, at present, is obtained through a three-hour online training, at a cost of $50.