Possible drowning at Verdun Beach

Verdun urban beach (Borough of Verdun)

Police and firefighters were called to Verdun Beach on Friday after a report of a young man who went into the water and did not resurface.

Authorities got a call at 7:30 p.m. and deployed a team to find the missing person using rescue boats on the St. Lawrence River, according to Montreal fire battalion chief Francis Fleury.

A photo shared on Facebook showed boats in the water as the search continued.

It was not clear whether the man was inside or outside the designated swimming area when he disappeared.

The incident comes as Montrealers were looking to keep cool on Friday under extreme heat. The humidex made it feel like 40, according to Environment Canada.

The Verdun borough just launched a campaign this week to raise awareness about responsible swimming at the popular beach after three people drowned last year. The goal of the campaign to remind visitors that swimming is only permitted during the beach’s season and supervised hours.

The beach will officially open for the season on Saturday through Aug. 30 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

With files from Dario De Felice and The Canadian Press