MONTREAL — Police say the body of a kayaker reported missing south of Montreal on July 31 has been found roughly 11.5 kilometres from his last known location.
Quebec provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Valérie Beauchamp says a member of the public discovered a man's body in Lake Champlain near Venise-en-Québec, Que. at around 6:30 p.m. Friday evening.
The Quebec coroner's office later identified him as 25-year-old Matthieu Lesage, who was last seen kayaking further south in the lake near Clarenceville, Que. at around 8:00 p.m. on Monday.
Loved ones reported him missing when he didn't return home that night, leading to what Beauchamp described as a significant search operation by provincial police in collaboration with the RCMP and American authorities.
Lesage's kayak was found Tuesday morning across the lake near Philipsburg, Que., close to the U.S. border.
A coroner is working to confirm his cause of death.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2023.
The Canadian Press
