Lac Saint-Jean body identified as missing snowmobiler Gilles Claude
Quebec provincial police have identified the body found in Lac-St-Jean yesterday as missing snowmobiler Gilles Claude.
Claude, 58, was part of a group of eight French nationals, led by a guide, who were trying to cross a snow-covered channel between the towns of Saint-Henri-de-Taillon and Alma Tuesday night when the ice gave way.
His body was found two kilometres downstream from where they fell into the water.
Claude is the second confirmed death in the incident after the 42-year-old guide, Benoît Lespérance, was pulled out of the water by Alma firefighters. He died Wednesday morning.
Gilles Claude is the father of three biathletes.
Speaking to the channel L’Équipe on Thursday, Fabien Claude dedicated his first career podium at the Biathlon World Cup to his father.
Un jour spécial ?, et Une étoile qui nous accompagnera toute notre vie ? ?, on t’aime papa ??? <a href=»https://t.co/oIsIiBleQ8″>pic.twitter.com/oIsIiBleQ8</a>
—@fabien_claude1
«This podium is for him. I am sure he is proud of us and I am proud of what I have done today,» he said, speaking through tears.
A Quebec coroner will perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death before the body is repatriated to France.
Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Hugues Beaulieu said the search will continue for the four other members of the group that remain missing, but finding Claude’s body so far from the initial site has «significantly widened» their search area.
