Remember that it was around 10:10 a.m. that a boater reported the body to the authorities. Police officers, paramedics and firefighters then extricated the body from the water from their watercraft.
According to coroner Marilynn Morin’s report, it was unfortunately already too late. “Mr. Horton’s body was rigid and it was impossible to open the airway, no resuscitation maneuvers were performed,” she notes.
Mr. Horton’s body was transported to Granby hospital where he was pronounced dead by a doctor at 12:12 p.m.
An autopsy was performed on June 22, 2023 at the Laboratory of Judicial Sciences and Legal Medicine in Montreal (LSJML).
The pathologist confirms that the fluid present in the bronchi and the heavy lungs are consistent with drowning.
Toxicological analyzes were also carried out and no substances were detected, including alcohol.
Surveillance cameras were installed at the residential building where Mr. Horton lived and analyzes established that he left his home on June 20, 2023 at 12:12 a.m.
Mr. Horton would have walked to the municipal beach, a distance of approximately two kilometers.
The time on Mr. Horton’s watch at the time of the drowning was frozen at 1:00 a.m. “It is possible that this is the time Mr. Horton was in the water for a prolonged period. This would also be consistent with the fact that he left the residence at 12:12 a.m.,” the report states.
Conclusion
Still according to coroner Marilynn Morin’s report, Mr. Horton could have experienced momentary confusion, headed towards the lake after thinking he saw someone or something, felt unwell and fell into the water or even gone there deliberately.
It is therefore a death, the intention of which remains undetermined, concludes the coroner, who did not provide any recommendations.
If you need help or worry about a loved one, contact a worker at 1-866-APPELLE or at suicide.ca. The Haute-Yamaska Suicide Prevention Center is also available at all times, notably via the telephone intervention line (450-375-4252).
