Quebec coroner says poor planning, lack of training contributed to deaths of firefighters

An probe by a Quebec coroner into the 2023 deaths of 2 unpaid firefighters during a h2o rescue successful Saint-Urbain, Que., concluded their deaths were a effect of a "chain of events."

In a 39-page study released Wednesday, Quebec coroner Andrée Kronström revealed that important shortcomings contributed to the men's deaths, including insufficient exigency planning, a deficiency of training and inadequate instrumentality for aquatic interventions. 

On May 1, 2023, Régis Lavoie, 55, a unpaid firefighter, and Christopher Lavoie, 23, a firefighter successful training, drowned aft boarding an amphibious ATV successful an effort to rescue a mates whose location was surrounded by rapidly rising waters from the adjacent Gouffre River. 

The stream overflowed aft important rainfall and snowmelt led to what Kronström described arsenic a 100-year flood. 

The beardown existent made it hard for the 2 firefighters — who were not related — to power the ATV, which started drifting. They yet fell into the h2o and were swept away. 

WATCH | Heavy rains struck Quebec's Charlevoix region successful 2023: 

Kronström made respective recommendations highlighting the request to amended the co-ordination of municipal resources and fortify collaboration betwixt municipalities wrong the aforesaid MRC, oregon determination county.

"The municipal civilian information program was not known and the deployment of municipal resources did not let decisions to beryllium taken that were due to the urgency of the situation," Kronström said.

With a deficiency of absorption from municipal authorities and insufficient resources, the firefighters made the determination to effort the rescue utilizing a idiosyncratic amphibious vehicle, which was not designed for usage successful fast-moving waters of that depth. 

Redefining leader culture, oregon the 'need to rescue'

In her report, Kronström underscored the value of providing amended grooming for firefighters to guarantee their information during earthy disasters, emphasizing the request to redefine leader civilization and its spot wrong the program for Quebec firefighters.

Expert grounds heard past outpouring during the people of the coroner's nationalist enquiry determined the lone harmless involution connected that fateful time would person been for the 2 men not to intervene.

At the clip of the attempted rescue, they were wearing dense firefighting gear, known arsenic bunker suits, but were not wearing idiosyncratic flotation devices. Available beingness jackets, according to a 2024 study by Quebec's workplace wellness and information committee (CNESST), were not adjusted to beryllium worn implicit firefighting equipment.

A consequent survey carried retired by the CNESST, successful a controlled environment, showed that firefighters wearing afloat cogwheel during interventions connected oregon adjacent the h2o volition successful crook go victims successful request of rescuing if they autumn successful the water.

"They meant well, they wanted to spell and help," Kronström said of the 2 men, "but they did not put their information first" and were possibly unaware of the risks involved.

Kronström explained the "need to rescue" oregon the conception of leader civilization needs to beryllium approached successful a balanced and harmless manner.

The stranded mates successful the home, was yet airlifted to information successful the precocious day by a Sûreté du Québec helicopter.