A missing Pincourt man was found safe on Monday afternoon, May 21, just over 24 hours after they were both reported missing.

Police officers from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) immediately began an intensive search as soon as they learned that Maurice Beauregard, 82, and his dog were lost in a densely wooded area.

The SQ were alerted by family members who reported him missing on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Beauregard and his dog were found safe by a member of the SQ canine team Monday afternoon at around 3 p.m.

Several volunteer citizens joined the search effort. They handed out flyers with Beauregard’s picture and personal details to motorists at intersections and asked everyone to immediately inform the authorities if anyone spotted him.

Members of the Pincourt public security and fire departments were also dispatched and searched for Beauregard until 2 a.m. Monday morning. They resumed their search at daybreak, said Pincourt Mayor Claude Comeau.

“It’s fantastic that we found him. He’s okay. He walked out of the bush on his own. The dog is safe too. It’s a good ending to a hard story,” said Comeau.

“We’re very glad the situation ended on a positive note. It was a great team effort among the SQ, our fire and public security departments, all the volunteers who participated and the City of Pointe-Claire who sent their search and rescue team. Everyone did a great job,” he said.

Comeau also commended the Pointe-Claire Volunteer Search Unit team for participating in the search effort. Mayor Tim Thomas praised the team as well. “They have the specialized training to help in these types of situations. I’m very proud of them,” said Thomas.