SQ divers recover body of missing swimmer in Pointe-des-Cascades

Provincial police have recovered the body of a missing 22-year-old swimmer in Pointe-des-Cascades Saturday afternoon.

Sûreté du Québec (SQ) divers found his body in the water close to where he had last been seen Friday night.

SQ spokesperson Christine Couloumbe said the young man failed to surface after jumping off the locks into the waters of the Soulanges Canal with a group of four other youth at around 11 p.m. on Friday.

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Emergency crews, including police and firefighters, conducted overnight searches, but were unable to locate the man.

While he has not been identified, police confirmed the 22-year-old is a French national.

“He was here for his studies,” Coulombe said.

The Soulanges Canal is an abandoned shipping lane on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, located between Pointe-des-Cascades and Coteaux Landing.

The area is known to be dangerous due to strong currents, and swimming is prohibited.

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There have been two drownings in the past two years, not including Friday’s incident.

Despite a coroner’s report recommending safety barriers be put up, the area remains accessible.

— With files from The Canadian Press