Man missing after boat capsizes in St. Lawrence River

From the CBC website - Ralph, Montreal Sailing

Two men whose rowboat capsized in the St. Lawrence River may have been swamped by a wave, Montreal police say. The coast guard and Montreal firefighters were using boats and a helicopter Monday to search for one man who remained missing. "We do believe at this time that it's a wave that hit the boat," said Const. Yannick Ouimet of the Montreal police, although he added the exact cause has not been determined. The search was to end at dusk and police are to re-evaluate the situation in the morning, Ouimet said.

The boat capsized around 10 a.m. on Monday. The 51-year-old man managed to cling to it for two hours before slipping away. His 37-year-old companion managed to hang on for another 90 minutes before being rescued by family members who came along in another boat. The men were on their way to a nearby island to renovate a cottage.

The rescued man was treated for minor hypothermia and released from hospital. He told police the boaters were only a few hundred metres from shore when the boat hit a wave and flipped. Police say the men were not wearing life-jackets but remain optimistic the other boater will be found.

"We still have hopes to find him," Ouimet said.

© The Canadian Press, 2008