Family members of the 12-year-old boy who died in Pont-Rouge on Sunday were nearby during his fatal fall, which occurred at the end of their private land, where there is an ice climbing wall.
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We do not heal from the death of a child, we learn to live with it, often say bereaved parents.
In this tragedy, loved ones will also have to learn to deal with the memory of a vain rescue attempt.
Second of a family of three children, Xavier Lebel died accidentally following a fall of about 35 meters, near chemin du Bois-de-l’Ail.
Photo taken from Facebook
Young Xavier Lebel, 12, lost his life on Sunday after ending up in the freezing waters of the Jacques-Cartier River in Pont-Rouge.
At the bottom of the cliff, the teenager then found himself in the freezing waters of the Jacques-Cartier River. Upon impact, the ice gave way and the first on the scene had to fish it out.
” It is sad. It is an exceptional site. They were on their turf. The cliff drops right at the end. The father is very involved in the municipality. The family constantly wants to improve the site for climbers,” explained the mayor of Pont-Rouge, Mario Dupont.
A glimmer of hope persisted temporarily. “He had vital signs when he left in the ambulance. It’s a situation we don’t want to be in. We sympathize with them a lot. We cannot do more,” added Mr. Dupont.
unimaginable
The family is known in Pont-Rouge in particular because of its business.
Graduates in agriculture and the environment, the parents launched a farm with an ecological vocation a few years ago. The couple raise young oxen on grass, and the herd now numbers around sixty animals.
The young sportsman attended the Séminaire Saint-François, in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures. Xavier and his brother had even started their small business delivering fresh eggs by bike.
“On a more personal note, and as a father, I can’t imagine the grief the family is feeling right now. I send them a lot of love and courage in this ordeal,” said Mathieu Bisson, the municipal councilor responsible for business people.
A trauma
Sunday, the Sûreté du Québec had indicated that it had received confirmation of a death while in the evening, it was said rather that the young boy was fighting for his life. The sad news finally fell on Monday.
Photo Agence QMI, Marcel Tremblay
Firefighters used an ATV to evacuate him from the wooded area.
For reasons of confidentiality, the CHUL and the Canadian Association for Organ and Tissue Donations have not confirmed whether other children have benefited from an ultimate gift.
“We are talking about a traumatic bereavement that requires professional support. We survive the death of a child and then one day, we tame life with the deceased who still remains in the hearts of the members of his family, ”explains the author Lynne Pion, specialist in bereavement management.