Police resume search for teenager who fell through the ice on Rivière des Prairies

Montreal police resumed their search Friday for a teenager who fell through the ice in the Rivière des Prairies in Montreal.

On Thursday afternoon, two males, aged 17 and 18, were walking on the icy surface of the river in Montreal’s Bizard—Sainte-Geneviève borough and fell through after the ice gave way.

The 17-year-old was pulled from the river and was conscious when he was sent to hospital. His life is not in danger, police say.

The 18-year-old man is still missing after he was swept away by the current.

Police said both teens are students at the nearby Cégep Gérald-Godin.

Police spokesperson J.P. Brabant said officers are using boats and a drone to search for the missing man. He said the tactical water unit is assessing the risk of sending divers into the water to conduct a search due to the strength of the current, and that a decision has not yet been made.

“We’re not lacking on efforts this morning,” he told reporters Friday morning.

Police also have a message for the public about staying safe near waterways.

“The current is pretty hard and the ice, we never know when it’s going to break, so make sure you’re never going on the shore, on the water, to make sure that those incidents don’t happen again,” Brabant said.