sign incorrectly said verdun beach was being monitored when man drowned: coroner
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montreal police visit verdun beach and speak to lifeguards in montreal on june 24, 2025. the visit came one day after an accidental drowning.
allen mcinnis
/
montreal gazette
the only sign that was visible at verdun beach when a 20-year-old man drowned there in june incorrectly stated it was being monitored when it was in fact closed, a quebec coroner has found.
what’s more, the buoys marking the safe swimming area had been removed for the off-season, coroner yves lambert says in a report released friday concerning the first of three drowning deaths near the beach this year. the buoys were only due to be reinstalled about five days later for the impending opening of the beach for the summer season.
“despite (it not being open yet), the beach was accessible to everyone, and several people were already there at the time of the incident,” lambert writes of june 7, the day the 20-year-old went to the beach to swim with friends around 5 p.m. the beach was only due to open on june 14.
“there are no signs indicating that the beach is closed and unsupervised,” lambert writes of the circumstances on june 7.
“the only sign still visible on site, which was installed last year, incorrectly states that the beach is supervised from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.”
lambert, who ruled the 20-year-old’s death an accident, notes in his report the city is now considering installing permanent, year-round buoys swimmers could grab hold of if needed.
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the coroner also notes the city of montreal installed clearer signage and a map indicating the permitted and prohibited areas of the beach following the 20-year-old’s death and is currently working on other safety measures.
for example, a chain is to be installed on the far left side of the beach with a “no swimming” sign to discourage access to the water, the report says. as well, buoys are to be added on the right side to indicate the presence of strong currents.
since the beach closed at the end of the summer, a sign saying in french “beach closed, swimming prohibited” has been posted in front of the beach and on the lifeguard’s chair, the report also notes. the signs indicating the opening hours have been removed for the off-season to avoid confusion.
meanwhile, municipal officials have sought the advice of the quebec lifesaving society on signage and deterrent measures in high-risk areas around the beach and on developing a public awareness campaign on the dangers of swimming in undesignated areas and in whitewater conditions, the report says. a committee is working on proposals, it says.
as part of the awareness campaign, a representative will visit verdun beach outside of the official summer season and outside of opening hours to educate the public, the report says.
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the 20-year-old’s body was found in the st. lawrence river near verchères one week after he went missing.
the man, who had taught himself to swim, had no health problems and had undergone a medical exam in november, the report says.
entering the water with friends, he swam toward white navigational aids located about 20 metres from the beach. the coroner notes the white markers were installed by the coast guard to assist watercraft in the strong currents and don’t belong to the beach.
about five minutes later, the man told a friend he had run out of energy. the friend tried to pull him back to the shore while shouting for help, the report says. after about 30 seconds, the man let go of his friend, who sank below the surface of the water. a boater who was nearby brought the friend on board while a police cadet on the beach who saw the friend shouting for help contacted 911.
about two weeks later, another man drowned off verdun beach. in mid-july, a third man drowned in the area. both were said to be swimming outside the designated swim zone.
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