Family with 2 toddlers found almost ‘frozen’ to death while crossing into Canada from US

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada AA) – A family of four trying to cross into the Canadian province of Quebec from the US was found nearly "frozen" in the early morning hours Friday.

The parents and children were huddling under a tree at about 4:15 a.m. local time when they were discovered, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) told CTV News.

“A family with two very young children, one and two years old, were lost in the woods for many, many hours before the mother decided to call 911,” said Martina Pillarova, a spokesperson with the RCMP. “After a long operation trying to find the family, they finally found them at 4:15 a.m.”

The RCMP were called in by Quebec’s provincial force, the Surete du Quebec, to help in the search, culminating in the family found "frozen" in place but alive.

“They were exhausted. They couldn’t move anymore. They were frozen. They were trying to keep the children warm,” she said, noting that the family was not prepared for Canada’s winter weather. They were wearing coats, but they didn’t have appropriate shoes or boots or gloves or anything like that.”

Police gave their hats and coats to the family in a bid to warm them up while awaiting the arrival of paramedics.

“They couldn’t move them because of their state,” Pillarova said.

They eventually arrived at hospital where the four were found to be suffering from hypothermia but their lives are not considered to be in danger, she said.​​​​​​​

They have requested refugee status and their file has been forwarded on to the Canada Border Services Agency, the RCMP said.