Chandigarh | Updated: July 7, 2026
Two Punjabi youths died in a tragic drowning incident at the Lachine Canal in Montreal, Canada, over the weekend.
The deceased have been identified as 26-year-old Lovepreet Singh, a resident of Ghunas Road in Tapa Mandi, and Yograj Singh, a resident of Butala village in Amritsar district.
According to preliminary information, one of the youths reportedly slipped and fell into the canal, while the other entered the water in an attempt to save him. Both drowned during the incident.
Authorities in Canada are investigating the exact circumstances that led to the tragedy.
The families of the victims in Punjab were informed about the incident on Monday afternoon.
Lovepreet’s father, Balvir Singh, a retired CRPF personnel, said he had sent his son to Canada around two-and-a-half years ago after selling his land and spending nearly ₹29 lakh.
Lovepreet had been working as a truck driver in Montreal. His elder sister, Harpreet Kaur, who also lives in Montreal, is completing the legal formalities for the repatriation of his body.
Balvir Singh appealed to the Punjab and Central governments to help bring his son’s body back to India so that the family can perform the last rites according to their religious customs.
He said the family did not know when the body would reach home and added that they did not have enough money to bring it back.
Local organisations have also appealed to the government to assist the families in repatriating the bodies.
The family said Yograj was also working with Lovepreet in Canada and both were friends.
Emergency services, including the Montreal Fire Department and the Canadian Coast Guard, launched a major rescue operation after receiving a call at 11:55 pm on Saturday.
The call reported that two people had fallen into the Lachine Canal near its junction with the Saint Lawrence River in Lachine.
Around 20 to 30 emergency responders took part in the operation, which involved two Montreal Fire Department boats and a Canadian Coast Guard vessel.
Rescue teams used sonar equipment to locate the victims. After nearly two hours of searching, firefighters recovered both men from the canal and rushed them to hospital.
Both were hospitalised in critical condition.
The Quebec Coroner’s Office confirmed on Monday that the two men had succumbed to their injuries.
The rescue operation concluded on Sunday.
Officials said the deaths were the 24th and 25th drownings reported in Quebec this year.
The families of both victims are now seeking government assistance to bring the bodies back to Punjab for their last rites.
