A Quebec coroner says the 2025 drowning deaths of a 34-year-old mother and her three-year-old son in a residential pool in Montreal’s Lachine borough were accidental, as neither knew how to swim.
It happened on June 10, 2025, at a home on 20 Avenue near Provost Street. The coroner reports that the child and his mom were around the pool late in the afternoon, and the boy fell into the water trying to get a ball. The mom jumped in to save him, but neither person knew how to swim, and no one was wearing any sort of flotation device.
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A family member was home at the time and noticed they were missing, but with the pool not ready for use, the water was murky, and they could not see the bottom.
Hours later — at night — as they went around the pool with a flashlight and used something to feel into the water, they realized the two victims were in the pool and called police.
Both victims were found unresponsive, and despite resuscitation efforts by paramedics and officers, the mother and child died.
The coroner is recommending that the Lifesaving Society of Quebec raise awareness of the role, qualifications, and importance of designated lifeguards at private pools, and that the City of Montreal ensure that swimming lessons are available to the public and encourage residents to take them.
