A man in his forties tragically died during the night from Saturday to Sunday when he jumped into the water to rescue a woman who had accidentally fallen into the St. Lawrence River, in Lévis, on the South Shore of Quebec.
The victim’s spouse, who was the third person in the group, contacted the emergency services at around 3:30 a.m., reported the Police Department of the City of Lévis (SPVL) to inform them of what had happened at the Anse-Benson, in the Saint-Romuald sector, and that the man was nowhere to be found.
The woman who initially fell into the water came out of the water on her own. She was hypothermic, according to the patrol officers who arrived on the scene, and was transported to Hôtel-Dieu in Lévis. His life would not be in danger.
The man was found “inert, floating in the water” a few minutes later by the Coast Guard who had been requested for assistance, said Jean-Sébastien Levan, a spokesperson for the SPVL.
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“The three were intoxicated,” Constable Levan said. “The level of intoxication, we don’t have it.”
All three are from outside the region. The couple of which the victim was a part comes from Saint-Jérôme, in the Laurentians, and the woman who initially fell into the water is from Sherbrooke, in the Eastern Townships.
The police do not know if the man died by drowning or by hitting the rocks. “It depends on the height of the tide,” said Mr. Levan. “At low tide, it’s about ten feet high. On the other hand, there are rocks below.”
The police are trying to clarify what the group was doing at the scene shortly before the tragedy. A coroner will conduct an inquest to clarify the circumstances of the man’s death.
Anse-Benson Park is open to the public day and night. Vehicles are usually parked there in front of a cement border that overlooks the river in order to walk or admire the view.
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