An ultimate tribute to the boater disappeared

Photo Annie T. Roussel
The comrades of Daniel Malenfant him paid glowing tribute on the St. Lawrence river.

Dominique Lelièvre

Saturday, January 6, 2018 10:52

UPDATE
Saturday, 6 January 2018 11:02

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This is from the St. Lawrence river, the oars raised to the sky, that the rowers of Québec have made a last tribute to their colleague who tragically died last month.

• READ ALSO : farewell to the boater disappeared
• READ ALSO : Death of Daniel Malenfant: shock to the world of the canoe to ice

They are more than sixty to have taken part in this exceptional output, on Saturday morning, an arctic cold. Around 9 o’clock, dozen of boats has invested the river from the boat launch to the water of the anse au Foulon then walk along the promenade Samuel de Champlain.

“It is an event of solidarity between us. It is a way to heal following the death of Daniel, to gather together before the start of the races in order to have a little time in front of him and facing ourselves”, explained the organizer, Catherine Paquin.

Photo Annie T. Roussel

At 10am, the athletes stopped in front of the church Saint-Michel de Sillery to raise their oars to the sky while the bells of the holy place rang. A minute of silence was observed. “This is our funeral of rowers”, has shown that that is also the director of the Association of riders in a canoe to the ice.

A ceremony in honour of the rider who died had previously taken place on the 21st of December last.

“In the image of Daniel”

The activity was held with the presence of several friends and family members of the athlete who died. “It was simple and to the image of Daniel. I found it very touching,” responded from the shore Michael Maltese, a member of the team of canoe to ice boater disappeared, The Korrigane.

Daniel Malenfant lost their lives in the icy waters of the river, on the 13th of December, when his boat capsized around noon. Man of 39 years, a native of Rivière-du-Loup, has remained near the boat, possibly to retrieve a radio and alert emergency services according to a hypothesis formulated by relatives. The other four occupants managed to reach the shore by their own means in twenty minutes.