Drowning deaths of mother and son: Quebec coroner emphasizes swimming lessons

MONTREAL — A Quebec coroner is emphasizing the importance of swimming lessons in a report into the drownings of a mother and her three-year-old son.

The report says the 34-year-old woman was spending time near the pool at her Montreal home last June when her three-year-old son fell into the deep end while chasing a ball.

The mother jumped in after her child despite not knowing how to swim, and both drowned.

Coroner Edgard Nassif noted that neither were wearing flotation devices, and that the pool’s cloudy water made them harder for nearby family members to spot.