Just before a week ago a 78-year-old skier suffered a fatal fall on the Avila slope of the Sommet Saint-Sauveur, another skier suffered a serious accident that could have cost him his life on the same section of the same route, La Press experience.
Published at 1:05 am. Updated at 5:00 am.
The death of Gérard Proulx made headlines. La Presse reported on Mr. Proulx's death on January 16, without naming him: “The death of the skier, who was in his 70s, would not be the result of a collision. »
It was the family of 78-year-old Mr Proulx who contacted La Presse to denounce what they described as an unsafe development on the Laurentides trail.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FAMILY
Gerard Proulx
One of Mr Proulx's sons, Sylvain, said his father was caught in a cloud caused by snow cannons. However, says Sylvain Proulx, this cloud hid a pile of snow that threw his father into the air and led to a fatal fall at the end of the Laurentides2 path.
When La Presse asked Sylvain Proulx – who was not present at his father Gérard's fateful ski trip – where he got this information, he explained that a few minutes before the accident, another skier had suffered a serious accident at the same spot.
INFOGRAPHICS THE PRESS
This skier's name is Carol Morissette. He is an entrepreneur from the Laurentians, a member of the family that once owned the Le Titan junior hockey club in Laval.
Arriving yesterday in the intensive care unit of the Saint-Jérôme hospital, the 68-year-old man confirmed the words of Sylvain Proulx: “I went down the Laurentians and I see a snow cannon, there is the cloud of the snow cannon.” I go around the cloud, to avoid her, but I couldn't avoid her, she turns white on white…”
At that time, says Carol Morissette, he literally flew away. He could no longer see anything, but had the feeling that he was no longer touching the runway: “I flew, at least 15, 20 feet. I've never jumped like that in my life. Even as I fell backwards I became blind on the left side, everything was white on white, I found myself in a huge snow shower…”
The shock was devastating, breaking Carol Morissette's femur as her femur suddenly moved up her artificial titanium hip: “My femur broke lengthwise like a tree trunk. »
The skier also seriously injured his elbow and finger and suffered bruises on his shoulders and a concussion. As he lay on the track, his worries weren't over yet: there was no one in sight who could have warned the patrol officers.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Carol Morissette suffered a number of injuries, including a broken femur.
“I screamed for help, no one saw me. When someone finally came, I asked to call the stretcher bearers. They sent the stretcher porters who arrived in a Ski-Doo. »
Patrol officers then came to Carol Morissette's aid.
Another accident at the same place
He was strapped to a stretcher on the back of the snowmobile when he heard over the radio that another accident had just occurred: “They were talking about another accident at the same location, but that the skier went into cardiac arrest. I didn't know anything about the accident, I just heard it on the radio. »
Mr. Morissette claims to have told patrol officers when they arrived to close the lane to prevent anyone from suffering the same fate as he had just suffered.
Later, at Saint-Jérôme hospital, Carol Morissette learned the identity of the victim: “I knew him, it was someone I had already met on the slopes and with whom I had previously shared ski lifts. I had seen him in the parking lot that morning. »
Mr Morissette says the ambulance that was called to the scene to transport him to hospital was ultimately used to transport Mr Proulx, given his more serious condition. He said he was transported by ambulance to Saint-Jérôme after Mr Proulx's accident.
What caused Carol Morissette – and possibly Gérard Proulx – to catapult into the air in the middle of a snow cloud without her knowledge?
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Simon Pagé, vice president of the Sommets, insisted the signage was compliant.
Mr Morissette said he had walked down the Laurentides slope the day before, on Monday January 15, and had not seen anything resembling an acrobatics ramp: “It looks like a competition ramp, they have to do that at night have made.” ”
Simon Pagé, vice president of Sommets, the organization that oversees four ski resorts in the Laurentians, including Sommet Saint-Sauveur's Avila slope, agreed to answer questions from La Presse.
Mr. Pagé states at the scene of the accidents that they occurred at the foot of the Laurentides path, at the foot of the mountain, at the intersection of adjacent hiking trails.
“Did the two accidents happen in exactly the same place?
— I can't say, but it's the same sector. »
Mr. Pagé confirms that there was snowmaking with cannons near the Laurentides, in the area of the neighboring snow park at Piedmont.
“Mr Morissette says he flew away as if he were on a ramp….”
“There are details I don't have,” the VP of Summits replied, but when he says he flew away, it's probably because a pile of snow was created. »
Have MM's accidents. Were Proulx and Morissette caused by the same pile of snow? Response from Simon Pagé: “We are cooperating with the Sûreté du Québec's investigation and that of the coroner. »
What did the patrol officers do when Mr. Morissette ordered them to close the runway? Mr. Pagé's answer: “It is possible that he mentioned this, but it is important to understand that the priority at this time is to provide first aid, since the path was well marked with the pictogram, all in Compliance with current legislation.” »
In fact, an investigation is underway by the Coroner's Office, an investigation supported by the Sûreté du Québec.
“This sport has a shared responsibility”
Mr Pagé could not say yesterday whether, after the first accident, that of Mr Morissette, additional security measures were taken, such as the use of “bamboos”, those cross-shaped sticks that were sometimes placed in front of a dangerous sector.
Simon Pagé estimated the time between the two accidents to be 40 to 60 minutes. After the second accident, which resulted in the death of Gérard Proulx, the Laurentides route was closed “as we had to investigate the incidents”.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
An inquest is underway by the Coroner's Office, an investigation assisted by the Sûreté du Québec.
“We put so much energy into being happiness traders that we regret this situation. […] Whether you like it or not, it is a sport that carries certain risks. This sport carries a shared responsibility. »
We are responsible for the appropriate signage. But customers also have a responsibility to read the signs.
Simon Pagé, Vice President of Summits
In his conversations with La Presse, Simon Pagé emphasized that the signage complied with the regulations: “The pictogram indicated that there was snow below the piste that was closed.” The pictogram was located above the intersection of the Laurentides and Piedmont pistes , 140 feet from the pole: Skiers coming from the Laurentides arrive directly in front of this pictogram. »
Carol Morissette, on the other hand, is categorical: On Tuesday morning, he had never seen a pictogram at the exit of the Laurentides piste that warned of a blanket of snow.
From his bed in the intensive care unit, Mr. Morissette rails against those responsible for managing the slopes on the Avila slope of the Sommet Saint-Sauveur: “Someone hasn't done their job. »