Police divers recover body in Soulanges canal
Provincial police divers have recovered a body in the Soulanges canal west of Montreal near where a 37-year-old man went missing Saturday evening.
A spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec said the body still has to be identified, but all indications point to it being the missing man.
The man was swimming in the canal with another man around 6:30 p.m. last evening when he failed to surface.
Swimming in the locks is prohibited and signs indicate the dangers involved, but it's a risk many still choose to take.
"There is a lot of cement and debris in the water," SQ spokesperson Sgt. Daniel Thibaudeau told CBC News.
There are also rocks under the water that can cause problems, he said. "A bit of suction comes from the rocks … so someone can get trapped."
Thibaudeau said the water may look calm, but swimming there is dangerous.
A recurring problem
According to Christian Dumas, fire chief for Pointe-des-Cascades, tragic incidents in the area have become a regular occurrence.
"It's not the first time it's happened here," he told CBC. "It happened, the same thing last year. ... Three years ago we got six accidents here for swimmers."
In 2005, Quebec's coroner's office made several safety recommendations to the municipality and Transport Quebec, which is responsible for the site, after a 15-year-old drowned.
Among them was the installation of a high fence with barbed wire around the lock, which hasn't been erected.
The Transport Ministry has not yet responded to a request for comment.
