Pierre Lacroix and his colleagues were trying to save two boaters in distress when the firefighters' vessel capsized in the waves of the St. Lawrence River on Oct. 17, 2021.

Montreal's fire department says "don't come by if you have no reason to be here."

Calls for widely available texting services are on the rise in some North American cities since the mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub in June, when it was reported that some of the victims texted family members to ask them to call 911 out of fear of drawing the shooter's attention.