Young man’s body found at bottom of septic tank in Kanehsatà:ke; police investigating

A Surete du Quebec logo is seen in Ottawa, on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)

Provincial police found a man’s body at the bottom of a septic tank Friday in Kanehsatà:ke, a Kanienʼkehá:ka (Mohawk) community northwest of Montreal.

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said it was alerted to the incident at around noon by officers from the Mohawk Council of Kanehsatà:ke after a citizen found the young man’s body, Noovo Info reported.

The body was found at the bottom of the tank, which was more than 10 feet deep, near Rang Saint-Philomène.

Police could not speculate on the causes and circumstances of the man’s death, which was first reported by the Journal de Montréal. Investigators are not ruling out any possibilities, including criminal or accidental circumstances, an SQ spokesperson told Noovo Info.

Firefighters with the Boisbriand fire department were called in to retrieve the body from the pit, as they specialize in urban rescues.

An autopsy will be done to determine the cause of death.