After a harrowing night, eight individuals who crossed into Canada irregularly near Hemmingford in Quebec’s Montérégie region were successfully rescued from the extreme cold. The group was initially flagged by U.S. border systems but went missing, leading to an hours-long search operation by authorities.
By 3:30 a.m., a man claiming to be there to retrieve the group was intercepted, and soon after, seven of the eight migrants were found, some suffering from hypothermia and frostbite. With the assistance of the Sûreté du Québec and RCMP drone teams, the final person was located by 7:30 a.m.
All eight individuals were promptly transported to the hospital for treatment and will undergo processing by the Canada Border Services Agency.
This recent rescue mirrors a similar incident on Christmas day when 19 migrants of Haitian descent were intercepted and deported after crossing into Canada through Quebec’s Havelock region. The RCMP had previously cautioned against the dangers of illegal border crossings, especially during the winter when individuals are often ill-prepared for the harsh conditions.
Keyphrase: Quebec border crossing