2020-01-23T20: 39: 50.587Z – The drafting of LCI
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Research is still in progress, but one question remains. Two days after the ice collapsed under the weight of their snowmobiles, however, the chances of finding the five living Frenchmen seemed very slim. But the emergency services, who work on the shores of Lake Saint-Jean, cling to the slightest hope and some wonder about the reasons that led this group of nine people to venture off the marked trails.
Because the area where the accident occurred Tuesday, at the confluence of Lake Saint-Jean and a river, is well known to regulars. “People in the area know the place and know that there are several areas where the water never freezes and where it is” clear water “,” explains this resident to our team. the ice becomes thinner because of the currents and winds that sweep it, is also formally not recommended by professionals.
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The inhabitants of this corner located more than 200 km north of Quebec say they are also surprised. And wonder today what could have pushed this experienced professional, who could have been drafted Tuesday evening but who did not survive his injuries, to opt for this notoriously dangerous route. The most probable hypothesis is that the snowmobilers who were to reach the other shore, would have sought to cut through the lake, off piste, rather than following the marked path in order to reach the inn where they were to spend the night.
Significant land, air and underwater searches had resumed in the area Thursday to try to find the five missing French. Equipped with a mini-submarine and a sonar to probe the bottom of these dark and icy waters, the investigators still hope that the missing members of this group from eastern France (among them, the father French biathlete Fabien Claude), could find refuge on an island or in a chalet without means of communication. “But the more time passes, the more unlikely this situation is,” said Hugues Beaulieu, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec.
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