(Trois-Rivières) The boat of the kayaker who has been missing since last Thursday in Trois-Rivières has been found, which has given new impetus to the intensive searches which took place all weekend to locate him.
According to the Trois-Rivières police, Pierre Couture put his kayak in the water from the launching ramp at the Le Maïkan outdoor center around 1:30 p.m. last Thursday.
However, he has not been seen again and his family has not heard from him since then.
Monday morning, the Trois-Rivières police confirmed that Mr. Couture’s kayak was found, which allowed him to redirect his searches to the area of rue Notre-Dame Est, opposite the Wayagamac factory.
“Since 9 a.m. this morning [lundi]”, patrollers are busy combing the banks, near where the boat was found,” the police force said in a press release.
Mr. Couture is said to be an experienced kayaker who is used to paddling up to the KI-8-EB golf club, on the Saint-Maurice River, and back down to La Potherie Island.
The police received an official report on Friday evening relating to his disappearance.
Saturday morning, police and firefighters began searching to find the missing man. They patrolled the banks and the Saint-Maurice River aboard boats. Two drones also traveled the area to try to locate the kayaker and his boat.
The Coast Guard was also notified and a Sûreté du Québec helicopter was dispatched to the area.
Pierre Couture is 65 years old and is 1.85 m tall. When he left the Le Maïkan center, he was dressed in an isothermal suit and a long-sleeved orange sweater, as well as a orange flotation jacket. His kayak is EPIC V6 brand.
Anyone who can provide information to locate Mr. Couture can contact the Trois-Rivières police at 819 691-2929 #6.