Tragedy Strikes as Seaplane Overturns During Takeoff in Montérégie Region

A tragic incident unfolded on Friday morning in the Montérégie region of Montreal’s South Shore, resulting in the death of a man in his 50s and minor injuries to another individual after a seaplane overturned during takeoff from the Richelieu River.

The harrowing event took place around 11 a.m. near Saint-Basile-le-Grand, situated approximately 30 kilometres east of downtown Montreal.

According to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), one of the men was able to escape the aircraft and swim to shore, sustaining only minor injuries. Unfortunately, the second man found himself trapped inside the aircraft in the middle of the river.

Local firefighters from the Régie intermunicipale de sécurité incendie de la Vallée-du-Richelieu (RISIVR) sprang into action, utilizing boats to rescue the stranded individual. By 2 p.m., they successfully retrieved the man from the aircraft.

Tragically, despite the efforts to save him, the man was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The seaplane was eventually towed to shore for further investigation.

At this time, the cause of the incident remains unknown, prompting the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) to launch an investigation into the matter.