MONTREAL — A Quebec coroner says a 44-year-old Haitian man who was found dead in 2023 after trying to cross into the United States likely experienced hypothermia before drowning in shallow water.
Coroner André-H. Dandavino says Fritznel Richard was found on Jan. 4, 2023 in a ditch containing 45 centimetres of water near the U.S. border in St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que.
The report says Richard had been living in Montreal for two years but wanted to join his wife in the United States, and attempted to cross the border on foot through some fields on Dec. 23, 2022.
It snowed hard during the crossing, and the report says Richard called his wife and told her he was cold, tired, and his legs and feet were frozen. Moments later, she heard him fall and the line cut out.
Dandavino says Richard was dressed warmly but probably suffered from hypothermia, which could have led to him losing consciousness and drowning.
He ruled the death accidental, adding that it highlights the danger of trying to cross the border in rural areas outside of official crossings.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2025.
Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
