Montreal police officers came to the rescue of an intoxicated man in distress Saturday night between Pierrefonds and Ile Bizard.
The 24-year-old man had fallen from a boat in Rivere des Prairies and was clinging to a support beam on the Jacques Bizard Bridge, connecting Pierrefonds to Ile Bizard.
People living near the water in Ile Bizard said he heard screaming at about 1:30 a.m.
“I woke up this morning to the sounds of someone screaming very loud, 'I’m going to die,'” said eyewitness Adel Boulos. “I woke up my wife and told her, ‘Something is wrong.’ We live on the water. We ran down to the dock and we heard somebody stuck under the bridge.”
Boulos called police, who upon arriving at the scene discovered two men, both 24. One man was on shore, the other was against the bridge, clinging due to the strong current in the area.
The men had been canoeing when their boat capsized, said police, adding that drinking was involved.
"The two individuals didn't have life vests on so as soon as our first rescue crew got to the individual, they gave him a life vest," explained Robby Lagace of the Montreal fire department.
Dozens of firefighters came to the scene, and along with police and Boulos all worked to help the man in distress.
“I told them I have a boat,” said Boulos. “They came with me on the boat, and we tried to go around on the boat a couple of times to rescue him but he was stuck under the bridge between his canoe and the pole.”
Firefighters used their own boat, and were able to cut the canoe in half to free the man, explained the witness.
Firefighters were able to get to him to throw him a rope with which to secure himself, as well as a life jacket. The man was finally rescued about 2:20 a.m. after firefighters convinced him to let go of the support beam.
"The firefighters had to talk him down, calm him down, because once he was released we had to go and capture him on the water," said Lagace.
He was hospitalized, and was not suffering from any apparent injuries.
“Thank God he’s okay. He was saved, but I think his leg is broken, but thank God he’s out,” said Boulos. “I really appreciate what the police and the firemen did. They’re really great.”
Sunday marks the end of National Drowning Prevention Week.
Raynald Hawkins, spokesperson for the Quebec Lifesaving Society, said that while drowning less been less frequent this year, boaters and swimming should always be vigilant.
Those who most frequently drown, he said, are young men and they are frequently boaters who are not wearing life jackets.
"Male. Eighty per cent of the drowning victims they are male gender... and the (largest) age group we have in Canada for drowning situations is 20 to 24," he said, adding that 80 per cent of drowning victims are also not wearing life jackets.
"You bring it, you wear it," he said, explaining that half of all drowning victims know how to swim.
He added that alcohol and boating should never be mixed.
