Emergency crews, including firefighters, police and the Coast Guard, are scouring Lac Saint-Louis in Pointe-Claire Saturday morning in the hopes of finding a missing 38-year-old boater.
First responders received a distress call at around 3:30 a.m. about a man who had fallen overboard from a small boat.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are still unclear, with officials giving conflicting reports.
According to the Montreal fire department, there were four people on board the vessel and two of them fell overboard.
A third person jumped in after them and managed to pluck one of the two from the water.
Both were treated for hypothermia, while the driver, who remained on board, was treated for shock.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) for its part maintains that only one man fell overboard, and that the two boaters who were treated for hypothermia had jumped in the lake in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue the other.
While it is uncertain what exactly happened on the boat, what is certain is that one man is still unaccounted for.
According to Sgt. Claude Dennis with the SQ, the four men were likely out on the water for a fishing expedition.
The SQ is in charge of the investigation and a perimeter has been set up at the Pointe-Claire dock.
Helicopters with the Canadian Coast Guard and the SQ were dispatched to assist with the search and divers are expected to arrive at the scene later Saturday afternoon.
According to the fire department, the search area extends from Pointe-Claire to the Lachine Canal.
Such an extensive search is necessary due to strong currents.
Rescue crews are working against the clock. The current water temperature in the lake is 18 degrees celsius. According to experts, a person could survive for 12 hours in the water under those conditions.
Montreal firefighters are reminding boaters who are out on the lake to always wear a life jacket.
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