One dead, five still missing in Quebec snowmobiling accident

Provincial police are searching for five missing French tourists after their snowmobiles fell through the ice of Lac-Saint-Jean on Tuesday evening. The group of eight tourists from France were being led by a tour guide that day who later died after being pulled from a channel that was covered in snow.

Police say the victim — a 42-year-old Quebec man died several hours after being admitted to hospital. Three other French tourists survived and are in a hospital in Alma recovering from shock, and the other five remain missing said Hugues Beaulieu, a spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec according to the Montreal Gazette.

A search this morning of the area about 200 kilometres north of Quebec City involves provincial police on snowmobiles, local firefighters and Canadian Armed Forces personnel.

Police divers and a helicopter were expected to join the effort today.

Beaulieu says the area where the incident occurred is off usual trails where snowmobiles are allowed to operate. He says provincial police do not recommend snowmobilers go off trail.

Between 2010 and 2019, 13 non-locals died in snowmobile accidents in Quebec, Radio Canada reported.