A 6-year-old girl died Sunday evening after being involved in an incident earlier in the day at the Val Saint-Côme ski resort in the Lanaudière region. The authorities have opened an investigation, confirms the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
“This morning, we are all in mourning. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim,” said François Gagnon, director and owner of the Val Saint-Côme ski resort.
According to our information, the little victim fell and a piece of clothing got stuck in the T-bar. So she was pulled by the craft until an employee realized something was wrong. When the machine stopped, he ran towards the little girl who was unconscious. She was taken care of by the emergency team on site before being taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The death of the 6-year-old girl was confirmed Monday morning by the SQ, which opened an investigation into this tragedy which left no other injured.
The sad event left many mountain regulars in shock. This is the case of Julie Brouillette. She was present on the day of the tragedy with her 6-year-old daughter, who had come to take a ski lesson. “When we arrived, employee morale was low. It’s shocking for everyone, it could have happened to mine. »
She herself was a ski patroller in Val Saint-Côme in the past. “The team is very competent, able to react quickly. They did everything to help. »
She will be vigilant in the future, since an accident can happen quickly. “As parents, we always expect more of an accident on the descent. It’s unusual. Of course we expect answers on the exact circumstances [de l’accident]. »
Employee Assistance Program
The owner of the tourist resort quickly set up an aid program for his employees, upset by the terrible accident. “An internal investigation to understand the circumstances is open and we offer our full cooperation with the authorities,” he added.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
François Gagnon, director and owner of the Val Saint-Côme ski resort
The tragedy occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. Already, during his transport to the hospital, the life of the little victim was threatened, according to what the emergency services reported. “An accident occurred earlier today involving a young female skier during her ascent in a T-bar lift. She was taken to hospital. All our thoughts are with the young girl, her family and her friends. In order to offer all possible support to our teams, the mountain will be exceptionally closed for evening skiing, “said the tourist resort on Sunday evening shortly after the tragedy.
Activities had resumed Monday morning, but the T-bar lift remained closed to skiers.
The SQ has delegated investigators and forensic identification technicians to shed light on what happened.
The Val Saint-Côme ski center is located about 65 kilometers northwest of Joliette.
With The Canadian Press