drownings of mother and son in lachine residential pool are ruled accidental

the 2025 drowning deaths of a mother and son in lachine have been ruled accidental by a quebec coroner, renewing calls for increased awareness about water safety.the report, published may 7, explains that on june 10, 2025, a 34-year-old mother jumped into the deep end of a residential pool in an attempt to save her three-year-old son, who had fallen in while trying to retrieve a ball.coroner edgard nassif considers the following elements contributed to the deaths, which occurred while the pair were around the pool while another child swam: the mother and three-year-old could not swim and were not wearing flotation devices; it took a few seconds for the mother to realize the boy had fallen in; a loved one was home but couldn't see the pool from where they were; the pool water was murky, so the bottom wasn't visible.nassif is recommending that the société de sauvetage du québec increase awareness efforts about the role and required qualifications of designated supervisors around pools.he's also recommending that the city of montreal ensure swimming lessons are available to residents and to encourage participation.in an interview on monday, the general director of the société de sauvetage du québec, raynald hawkins, said children must wear flotation devices around water. "we find it important to be able to repeat our prevention messages, even though our thoughts are with the family and loved ones," hawkins said. "the principles remain the same: when you are near water or in the water, when you have children — especially young toddlers who cannot swim — it is important to equip them with flotation devices. if that had been the case, the mother would certainly not have had to jump in because the child would have floated." the group also suggests always having a "line-of-sight supervisor" when children are swimming — a person whose only job is to watch them. "but it is also preferable that children wear flotation devices so they float rather than sink in the pool, whether it is in-ground or above-ground," hawkins said. in the report, nassif also noted that while 95 per cent of people born in canada know how to swim, 20 per cent of newcomers to canada do not — something that is increasingly reflected in drowning data, hawkins said. the group is taking part in an immigration conference in montreal this week specifically to raise awareness among newcomers. "for us, it is important to reach this group," hawkins said. "and it is also important that children take swimming lessons. i know this is a particular challenge for many parents, and even more so for newcomers. so what we hope for is more available hours for swimming lessons and more trained instructors to teach these basic water-safety rules."in a statement, the city of montreal said it has taken note of the coroner's recommendations and that it will review them "within the framework of the borough aquatic coordinators’ working table, which it oversees.""that said, the city and its boroughs already offer a variety of accessible swimming lessons to the public and continue to work to improve access and encourage participation," said public relations officer nicky cayer. "water safety remains a priority for montreal, and the city will continue to assess the most effective ways to raise public awareness and enhance service offerings."the coroner's recommendations came just two weeks before a three-year-old child drowned in a blainville swimming pool.according to media reports, the boy’s parents were visiting friends when the drowning occurred. the child had been watching television in the basement of the home and the parents eventually realized he was no longer there. they called emergency services when they couldn't find him. police found the boy unresponsive in the home’s outdoor swimming pool.a coroner’s investigation will take place to shed light on the circumstances of the incident, which is the first reported drowning of a minor in quebec in 2026.blainville police spokesperson lt. sara tousignant said there was a fence around the property but not around the pool itself, which complies with quebec’s regulations for older residential pools. the province postponed the deadline for pools installed before nov. 1, 2010 to comply with updated safety requirements until sept. 30, 2027, as opposed to 2025.hawkins said the latest tragedy is a reminder that pools on residential properties must be safely secured and that children always need to be supervised when there is water nearby. "i often make the comparison that when children first learn to walk, we hold their hand to help them cross the street," he said. "it is the same thing when you are near a body of water." kthomas@postmedia.com