Search Continues for Two Missing Quebec Firefighters Swept Away During Spring Floods

A Canadian Coast Guard helicopter patrols the river looking for two missing firefighters after major spring floods hit the Charlevoix region, May 2, 2023, in Baie-St-Paul, Que. The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot

The search is continuing for two missing firefighters who were carried away by floodwaters northeast of Quebec City.

The firefighters were helping two residents near St-Urbain, Que., in Quebec’s Charlevoix region, when they went missing Monday afternoon.

Charlevoix is one of several parts of the province hit hard by flooding after a period of heavy rain, with some communities in the region declaring a state of emergency after banks overflowed, washing away roads and cutting off access to homes.

Provincial police say specialized rescue teams are on site to help search for the two missing first responders.

Environment Canada says that Charlevoix received between 50 and 60 millimeters of rain between Sunday and Monday and was expected to get another 10 mm to 20 mm by Wednesday.

Public Security Minister François Bonnardel travelled to Baie-St-Paul, Que., a city in Charlevoix under a state of emergency, where he told reporters today that ground and aerial teams are looking for the missing firefighters.

Officials in the municipality of Saint-Côme, Que., in the Lanaudière region, declared a state of emergency Monday.