13-year-old boy dead after being found unconscious at Montreal public pool

Young teen drowns The Quebec coroner’s office is investigating the drowning of a teenager in a Hochelaga-Maisonneuve pool.

MONTREAL — A 13-year-old boy has died after being found unconscious in a public pool in Montreal.

Montreal police (SPVM) spokesperson Caroline Chevrefils said that police received a 911 call around 4 a.m. Saturday about a boy, who was found in the Maisonneuve Pool in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.

"When the police arrived at the pool, they took the young man out of the pool, he was transported to the hospital in critical condition," said Chevrefils.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The SPVM is assisting the coroner, who is now leading the investigation into the teen's death.

Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough Mayor Pierre Lessard-Blais said preliminary investigations have found there were no malfunctions at the pool, and that access points were closed and locked according to security protocols in place.

"Today, an entire neighbourhood is in mourning and a family is living through a tragedy," said the mayor. "I wish to offer my condolences to the family and friends of the young man. All the light must be shed on the circumstances of this tragic event. In order to do so, we must let the public authorities do their work and we offer them the Borough's full cooperation."

Raynald Hawkins of the Quebec Life Saving Society said there are important questions about the death that need to be answered.

"How come this teenager was alone? If he was alone, what exactly happened?" he said.

Hawkins said the rates of drownings in Quebec is similar this year to last, but worried that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could cause it rise as the summer goes on.

"This is one of my preoccupations. Over the last 15 months, we didn't have any learn-to-swim programs."