Man in his 50s dies after falling while cutting tree branches west of Montreal: police

In this image, an SQ badge photographed in Quebec City on February 29, 2024. (LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Jacques Boissinot)

A man in his 50s died after falling from a tree on Saturday afternoon in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, in Quebec's Montérégie region.

Emergency services were called around 3:30 p.m., according to Sûreté du Québec (SQ) spokeswoman Élizabeth Marquis-Guy.

"According to initial information, a man in his 50s was cutting branches before he fell. He was taken to hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at the hospital," Marquis-Guy said Saturday evening.

Hydro-Québec equipment near the incident was damaged, so the power had to be cut off as a precautionary measure, the SQ said.

An SQ investigator and a forensic identification technician were called to the scene to clarify the causes and circumstances surrounding the event.

An investigation is underway.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 6, 2024.