Montreal firefighters association renews calls for more water rescue equipment

The calls come after two kayakers capsized in the Saint Lawrence River near Rock Island in LaSalle on Friday.

Montreal Firefighters Association is renewing calls for more water-rescue equipment following an incident when two kayakers became stranded in choppy water in the St. Lawrence River near LaSalle Boulevard on Friday.

According to Martin Guilbault of the Montreal Fire Department, crews responded just after 7 p.m.

“They needed help because the water came in their kayak,” Guilbault told CTV News.

“With our boat we tried to reach the people, but there was too shallow water over there so the boat wasn’t able to get to them.”

Guilbaut says the kayakers were rescued by a civilian on a sea-doo.

However, the association says the incident points to a lack of resources and logistics that they’ve been calling out for years.

“We have a very powerful boat in Montreal to do water rescue, but they are not suited to do everything. We have boats that would be considered like a Ferrari,” association spokesperson Marc-André Gosselin says.

“You take your Ferrari on the highway. You don’t take your Ferrari on the dirt path. And this area near Rock Island is the dirt path of the river. You need the proper equipment.”

Gosselin adds that the issue is critical in light of the death of firefighter Pierre Lacroix in 2021, who died trying to save boaters in distress in the Lachine Rapids.

“A coroner said in a report, firefighters of Montreal need to be able to intervene everywhere in the water - not just in some areas,” Gosselin says.

Verdun Mayor Céline-Audrey Beauregard says the city of Montreal is responsible for the Montreal police (SPVM) and the Montreal Fire Department in these situations.

“Following ongoing discussions with first responders, we will continue to advocate for a thorough review of the operational needs identified during this rescue, including equipment requirements,” the office says.

However, Gosselin hopes for a commitment as soon as the next city budget.

He says one thing he’d like is a new base of operations at the border of the LaSalle and Verdun boroughs to make it easier for firefighters to prevent future tragedies on the water.