From Martin Breu via FB: I do have some additional information about the recent fatality in Québec on the Mattawin river (Report ID #118472). It is not first hand, but from some folks who were on the river that day. The paddler (Denis Laroche) was in his early 50's and quite experienced. He apparently suffered of some medical distress and ended up in large hole. He ended up swimming out of his boat and went unconcious. It was according to the reports a long swim and took fellow paddlers a whileto get to shore. CPR was started immediately, but the it is a relatively remote section with limited or no cell phone coverage. The victim also ended on the wrong side of the river with no road access. One so one of the rescuers went to the local rafting centre to alert emergency services and to get a raft to help with evacuate on to the shore with road access. The victim was in critical condition when he arrived in the hospital and did unfortunately not surviv
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/kayaker-in-critical-condition-after-capsizing-on-matawin-river
ROIS-RIVES — A man whose kayak capsized on the Matawin River near Trois-Rives in Quebec’s Mauricie region on Saturday has died.
According to the Sûreté du Québec, emergency services were called at about 12:15 p.m. Saturday to respond to a person in distress near the Chapeau-de-Paille protected area for fishing and hunting in Trois-Rives.
According to initial information from the SQ, a man in his 50s fell into the river when his kayak capsized.
Kayakers with him were able to recover him from the water, but he was in critical condition when transported to a hospital. His death was declared Saturday night.
