Teen dies after being pulled from St. Lawrence River in Pointe-aux-Trembles

A 17-year-old boyhas died after being pulled out of the St. Lawrence River at a popular swimming spot off St-Jean-Baptiste Boulevard in Montreal's Pointe-aux-Trembles district Monday afternoon.

Matthew Griffin, the chief of prevention with the Montreal fire department, said the teen was playing in the water with three or four friends early this afternoon when he ran into trouble.

The fire department received thecall for assistance just after 2 p.m.

The fire department's water rescue team pulled the teen from the water and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Urgences-Sant paramedics thentransferred the boy to hospital.

Medical authorities confirmed the boy's death around 7 p.m. Monday.

Griffin said swimming is allowed at the spot where the friends, aged 13 to 17, were playing.

"It's very calm waters," he said. "There's like a little floating wharf here, where people can go onto and go swimming."

More than 30 people have drowned so far this year in Quebec.

Montreal police say the investigation will now go to the provincial coroner's office.