Searches continue Monday to try to find a five-year-old child who fell into the Saint-Maurice River, in Mauricie, on Sunday evening while playing on the edge of the river with his brother.
The two brothers, aged less than 10 years old, were playing on the edge of the water near rue Zéphirin-Doucet in Grandes-Piles, when the youngest of the two fell into the river in an area where there are few common, according to police.
“He was a kid who had just turned five playing with his brother in an area they knew, but where they had never ventured that far. Unfortunately, at the shoreline, it is a cliff, so the youngest child fell into the water,” mentioned Sergeant Éloïse Cossette, who is spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
“The big brother went to get help and told the adults what had happened,” she added.
From that moment, searches began to locate the youngest brother, notably with firefighters, patrol officers and an SQ helicopter. Citizens who volunteered also joined the operations.
Despite everything, the first night of searching was unsuccessful. Monday morning, operations resumed with full force.
“Research continues today. Among others, there are divers who are currently active on the water to try to find this young person who did not know how to swim,” explained Sergeant Cossette.