Emergency responders received a call around 3 a.m. Sunday about a report that a boy went missing after falling into a creek near Principale Street in the Saint-Basile area, Edmundston Fire Chief Jacques Doiron said in an interview. . Doiron said firefighters, police and paramedics responded with water rescue equipment and supplies. After a quick search that lasted less than 10 minutes, Doiron said emergency responders found the boy submerged in Mastic Creek, in the same area where he had fallen. Doiron said the boy was taken to Edmundston Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“The boys were playing”
Another boy who was playing with the victim also fell into the creek but managed to get out on his own with minor injuries, Doiron said. “It’s a really unfortunate situation here,” Doiron said. “The boys were playing and we think they just fell on the ice. We believe that. But again, they are investigating at this point to determine exactly what is happening, what really happened. “But we know it’s an accident.” Doiron said the cause of death was not yet known.
Increased risk as the snow melts
The creek where the boy died is not known to be particularly dangerous, Doiron said, adding that the water was about a foot and a half deep in some areas on Sunday. Higher temperatures, however, pose dangers around all water bodies and these dangers will remain for the coming weeks as snow and ice continue to melt. “We ask the public to be very careful or very careful around the waterways because there is still ice on the side and this ice is not really strong. So sometimes we want to go closer to the water and we can fall through the ice. ,” he said. Doiron said melting snow would also make water in rivers and creeks flow faster and faster, which could be dangerous if one fell into it. “So we ask people who live next to waterways, streams, rivers, lakes, just to be careful. We do not want this to happen again this year, certainly any other year.”
The school offers support to students
The victim was a student at the École Régionale de Saint-Basile, Julie Poulin, a spokeswoman for the Francophone Nord-Ouest District School, said in an email.
“His administration [District Scolaire Francophone Nord-Ouest]”The administration and staff of the École Régionale Saint-Basile and all our school communities are wholeheartedly with the family that lost a child,” Poulen said.
The boy who drowned on Sunday was a student at the École Régionale Saint-Basile, according to Julie Poulin, a spokeswoman for the Francophone Nord-Ouest District Scolaire. (Google Maps)
In response to the boy’s death, the school called psychologists, social workers and behaviorists on Monday, he said.
“The role of these resources is to allow students and staff affected by this tragedy to express themselves and listen to them,” he said.
“Our professionals can also identify students who look very upset or inconsolable. They then contact the parents to ensure that their children receive the support they need. The whole process is done in confidence.”
Poulen said that while there were classes on Monday, the well-being of students and staff was a priority and adjustments were made as needed.
“At the end of the day, today, our teams will meet to take stock of the events. They will then decide on actions for tomorrow.
“Resources will be available to students and staff as needed,” Poulen said.
