In her report, Coroner Sophie Regnier assumed Charleric Ouellet was already dead when 911 was called last summer in Quebec.
• Read more: Charleric Ouellet’s body was found
• Read more: Disappearance: 7th day of research to find Charleric Ouellet
On June 29, 2022, around 2:45 p.m., the 28-year-old victim and his father were busy picking strawberries at a farm in Ronge Saint-Ange, Quebec.
When Charleriac set foot on the border of strawberries, his father reminded him to be careful. Immediately, he ran north across the river.
His father went to look for him, but ten minutes later he asked for help from the owner of the complex, who then called 911. An intensive search was conducted for several days.
Significant mobilization
Quebec police stationed their search unit in the forested area of Ronge Saint-Ange, west of the city near Saint-Augustin-de-Desmarais.
Photo by QMI Agency, Marc Vallières
A dog handler, a drone, a bicycle patrol and a team of volunteers from the Association of Quebec Search and Rescue Volunteers are also involved. Sûreté du Québec divers were called to the site to explore two basins located in a strawberry field.
On July 5, 2022, at 9 am, the dog handler made a new round. Mr Ouellet approached the basin, a few steps away from the last point where his footprints were found, and found him floating about 15 meters from the edge.
In his statement, Mr.e Regnier ends up in an accidental drowning.
According to his psychologist’s file, Mr. Ouellet was followed in 2018 and 2019 specifically for autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and an anxiety disorder.
“On June 24, 2022, Mr. Ouellet remained ill for 72 hours in the CHUL emergency department. His thinking was disordered and his sleep was very difficult. Mr. Ouellet refused the medicine”, may we read.
“The follow-up since June 24 demonstrated rapid care, a well-established plan with family support, mobilization of specialists, but also Mr. Ouellet’s ambivalence in this follow-up,” the coroner writes.
Unpredictable
By the time he was gone, he would have experienced an unexpected reaction to a simple warning.
“It is possible Mr. Ouellet, his race […] He thought of crossing the valley, just as he had crossed a very shallow river. However, once in the basin, he could not return to solid ground,” said Mr.e Regnier notes that the sequence of events happened very quickly.
“Given that death by drowning usually occurs within a few minutes, when calling 911, Mr. Ouellet was assumed to be already dead.”
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