The body of a Montreal firefighter was recovered Monday morning after he went missing when a rescue boat capsized on the St. Lawrence River.
The Montreal Gazette has identified the veteran firefighter as Pierre Lacroix, 58, who drowned during a water rescue operation Sunday night. Crews had been dispatched at about 7:10 p.m. to a report of boaters in distress before their rescue craft capsized on the river.
Three firefighters and two boaters were rescued, but Lacroix could not be found until the next morning after underwater cameras located him stuck on the boat amid the rough waters of the Lachine Rapids, which made recovery efforts difficult for divers.
“Firefighter Lacroix made the ultimate sacrifice coming to the assistance of two people,” Montreal Fire Chief Richard Liebmann said.
According to the Gazette, neighboring fire departments joined the search, along with the Montreal PD's nautical unit and Canadian military personnel.
Flags across the city were lowered in honor of Lacroix, who was a father of two and worked out of Fire Station 64 in the borough of Lachine.
