12-year-old boy dies after falling into Edmundston creek

A 12-year-old boy died Sunday after falling into a creek in Edmundston.

Emergency responders received a call at about 3 p.m. Sunday about a report that a boy went missing after falling into a creek near Principale Street in the Saint-Basile area of Edmundston, according to a news release the City of Edmundston issued Monday morning.

Firefighters and police officers responded and, after a 10-minute search, found the boy lodged against ice in Mastic Creek.

He was pronounced dead at the Edmundston Regional Hospital in the late afternoon.

Another boy also fell into the creek and was kept under observation at the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

The cause of the boy's death remains unknown, but police have deemed it accidental.

Police are reminding people it is "very dangerous" to venture near waterways at this time of year.

The victim was a student at École Régionale de Saint-Basile, said Julie Poulin, spokesperson for District Scolaire Francophone Nord-Ouest, in an email statement.

In response to the boy's death, the school called in psychologists, social workers, and behaviour management workers, she said.

"The role of these resources is to allow students and staff members affected by this tragedy to express themselves, and to listen to them," she said.

"Our professionals can also identify students who seem very upset or inconsolable. They then contact the parents to ensure that their children receive the necessary support. This whole process is done confidentially."