The body of the child missing in the Saint-Maurice River has been found

Open in full screen mode

The child missing since Sunday evening was found in the Saint-Maurice River.

Radio-Canada

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) found on Monday the body of the 5-year-old boy who fell the day before in the Saint-Maurice River, in the height of Grandes-Piles, in Mauricie.

The body was found very close to where the child had fallen.

Emergency services were notified on Sunday evening, at 6 p.m., that the boy was missing.

He was playing with his brother in a wooded area located in a steep area ending in a cliff abruptly on the banks of the river, when he lost his footing. According to the police, he fell approximately five meters.

The family was visiting friends. The children therefore did not know the lay of the land.

At the time of the events, the victim's brother immediately rushed to his parents to say that his little brother had fallen into the water.

An emergency services command post was set up Monday morning on rue Zéphirin-Doucet.

Several equipment was used by divers, including personal watercraft and boats, as explained by SQ spokesperson Éloïse Cossette. The current and eddies of the Saint-Maurice River gave the rescuers a hard time.

The Shawinigan and Mékinac fire departments have participated in searches and patrols, while SQ agents focused on the banks.

An SQ helicopter flew over the area on Sunday evening and residents had joined the search.

The community of Grandes-Piles is wholeheartedly with the family, underlined the mayor , Caroline Clément.

With information from Julie Grenon