CHANDIGARH: Two youngsters who drowned in the Lachine Canal near René-Lévesque Park in Montreal, Canada, over the weekend were rescued.
Firefighters were called to the scene shortly after midnight, according to the Montreal fire department. After nearly two hours of intensive searching, firefighters located and rescued both the victims. The rescue operation ended after 2 am.
Officials said around 20 to 30 emergency responders participated in the operation, which involved two Montreal Fire Department boats and a Canadian Coast Guard vessel.
Rescue teams used sonar equipment to locate the victims. They brought them ashore and took them to the hospital in critical condition.
The deceased was identified as 26-year-old Lovepreet Singh from Tapa Mandi in Barnala district of Punjab. He went to Canada about two and a half years ago on a work permit and was working as a trailer truck driver.
After he completed his Class XII, his father, Balvir Singh, who had served in the CRPF, reportedly sold his two acres of land to send his son to Canada for his bright future.
Lovepreet Singh had spoken to his family on the phone about a week back.
Meanwhile, another youth whose identity has not yet been officially confirmed is believed to be from Butala village in Amritsar district.
The Quebec Coroner's Office confirmed on Monday that both men had succumbed to their injuries.
The reasons that led to the drownings are not clear, but the coroner’s office says that at the conclusion of the investigation, there may be recommendations for measures aimed at preventing deaths in similar circumstances.
The families of the deceased have appealed to both the Centre and the Punjab government for assistance in repatriating the bodies to the state for last rites.
The events mark the 24th and 25th drownings in Quebec this year.
Research by the Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada shows that about seven people die in Canada each year trying to save someone else from drowning.
