Montreal Firefighter Drowns Due to Lack of Planning

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has released a report indicating that the fatal capsizing of a rescue boat on the St. Lawrence River in October 2021 was due to a lack of planning by Montreal fire department officials. The firefighters who attempted to pull a pleasure vessel from the Lachine Rapids did not have an action plan and lacked a strategy for when to abandon the rescue attempt. The report also identified deficiencies within the fire department, despite these not contributing to the death of firefighter Pierre Lacroix. The commanding officers responsible for overseeing water rescues were unfamiliar with this type of operation.