The chief coroner of Quebec ordered Wednesday the holding of a public inquiry into the death of firefighter Pierre Lacroix, who lost his life by drowning last October, during a rescue operation.

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Coroner Géhane Kamel, who recently led the investigation into the circumstances of deaths in living environments for seniors during the first wave of COVID-19, will be responsible for the file.

The investigation will aim to shed light on the probable causes and circumstances of the death of Mr. Lacroix, who died while trying to save, on October 17, two boaters with his colleagues. For some unknown reason, the Montreal Fire Department boat suddenly capsized, possibly due to a wave.

If three of the four firefighters were able to be saved in extremis, the 58-year-old man on the eve of his retirement was not so lucky. He remained a prisoner, stuck under the overturned boat.

According to firefighters to whom the QMI Agency was able to speak at the time of the incident, when such an event occurs, sometimes the suction phenomenon is so intense that the person trapped under the boat is unable to release. Even if this person is wearing his life jacket, as was the case for Pierre Lacroix.