Friend of Quebec man killed in Florida boat explosion says his sister also injured

A childhood friend of the Quebec man killed in a Florida boat explosion earlier this week says one of the victim's sisters was among the other six passengers injured in the blast.

A childhood friend of the Quebec man killed in a Florida boat explosion Monday said one of the victim's sisters was among the other six passengers injured in the blast.

Thi Cam Nhung Lê said 41-year-old Sebastien Gauthier was celebrating the holidays with his family when the explosion occurred in Fort Lauderdale. Lê said Gauthier’s older sister was also on the boat when it erupted into flames, and she was taken to a hospital.

“It’s unimaginable, incomprehensible,” Lê said Saturday, adding that Gauthier’s family and mutual friends informed her about his death.

Lê, 40, said she first met Gauthier in her early adolescence and they grew up together in Quebec City. She remembers him as a globetrotter who always had a smile on his face.

“He’s still my best friend. It’s always him I call if I need something, but he’s no longer with us,” she said.

The last time the two friends saw each other face-to-face was about two years ago, Lê said, but she last messaged Gauthier on social media in the days before Monday's explosion.

And on Jan. 1, her birthday, she would have expected a call from him, just like every year.