Quite a story here near Parent
In the Parent area of La Tuque, a day’s work in the forest turned into an emergency for two friends who are seasoned outdoor enthusiasts. While they were cutting firewood on a remote piece of land near Lake Dandurand—accessible only by snowmobile in winter—a large branch broke off an old tree and fell on the head of 64-year-old André Bouchard. His friend Daniel Laliberté, a retired trapper known as Ti-Rouge in the village, quickly realized the gravity of the situation.
Given the remote location, Ti-Rouge managed to strap his friend behind him on his snowmobile, securing them together with a coat to keep him in place. He first drove the injured man to a nearby rest stop, where another friend joined them. Together, they set off for the Local Community Service Center (CLSC) in Parent, transporting André Bouchard “sandwiched” between them on the snowmobile for a distance of about 50 kilometers. During the trip, the condition of the logger, who had suffered a head injury, remained very concerning.
Upon their arrival at the CLSC, the on-site nurse took charge of the 64-year-old man and attempted to arrange for paramedics to respond. However, the nearest paramedics were nearly 200 kilometers away, in downtown La Tuque. An ambulance is normally stationed permanently at the Parent CLSC to handle this type of situation, but none of the three first responders in the area were available that day to drive the emergency vehicle. After several attempts, a transfer to the hospital was finally possible, with a delay of several hours.
André Bouchard is now in intensive care at the Trois-Rivières hospital, where he underwent cranial reconstruction surgery. Placed in an induced coma, he is beginning to wake up, and doctors no longer fear for his life, according to his loved ones. The family now hopes he will recover with as few serious complications as possible.
This incident highlights the challenges surrounding emergency services in this remote area of the Mauricie region, which is frequented by many hunting and fishing enthusiasts. Ti-Rouge laments the lack of first responders in Parent and states that some trained personnel have reportedly left their posts due to compensation deemed insufficient. The mayor of La Tuque acknowledges that it is difficult to recruit personnel in this region and refers to a “service gap” on the day of the accident, in a context of economic decline marked notably by the closure of the Rivière-aux-Rats sawmill. He invites interested citizens to volunteer to ensure the continuation of these essential services.
#Mauricie #LaTuque #Snowmobile #Rescue #QuebecNews
By
iceman ·
