On the morning of May 11, 1991, six-year-old Yanick Fortin disappeared from his family’s backyard in the small community of Matawin, Quebec. He was playing near the Saint-Maurice River with the family cat and was last seen wearing blue cotton pants, a yellow cotton sweater, and red and blue nylon shoes; neither the boy nor the cat was ever found.

A large search followed: more than 150 volunteers joined police, helicopters scanned the woods, tracker dogs and ATVs combed the terrain, and police divers searched the river. No trace of Yanick or the cat was recovered. Yanick’s father, Adrien Fortin, shared the prevailing theory that the child may have fallen into the river while trying to retrieve the cat, but no definitive evidence has been found and the case remains unsolved.

Anyone who lived in Matawin at the time or who has information about that day is asked to come forward with tips that might finally provide answers.