On the afternoon of October 15, 2017, 53-year-old Harold Dupuis was working as a fisherman’s helper on the deck of the fishing vessel Simdan in the St. Lawrence River near Tourelle, close to Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Quebec. Around 3:30 p.m., with winds near 46 km/h and two- to three-meter waves, a sudden roll of the boat threw Dupuis into the river while he was securing a stabilizer. He was not wearing a life jacket when he went overboard.

The captain attempted an immediate rescue, deploying a lifebuoy and maneuvering the Simdan to retrieve him, and an extensive search followed involving two Canadian Coast Guard ships, a National Defence helicopter and local fishing boats. Despite hours of searching, his body was never recovered and he was lost from sight as darkness fell.

An investigation by the provincial workplace safety commission found several safety deficiencies on the vessel, including insufficient guardrail height, no harness for the worker and inadequate onboard means to rescue a person unable to assist themselves; the owner received a notice of violation. Anyone who worked with Harold or has information about that day is asked to come forward.