Gatineau Police have identified the cyclist killed Wednesday on a Gatineau bike path.
32-year-old Louis Deschenes was found by a passerby Wednesday morning around 7:30 a.m. Police said he was found unconscious in the water and still on his bike.
Norm King worked with Deschenes for several years at Service Canada. He said Deschenes was a responsible, generous and extremely talented civil servant.
"He was just so great to be around," King said. "It was tragic in so many ways because Louis was a wonderful guy; very smart and personable."
Flowers now mark the spot where Deschenes' bike swerved off the Gatineau bike path and into the Ottawa River. Friends believe Deschenes was cycling to work at Place du Centre.
Gatineau Police said their investigation is on-going and a cause of death is currently unknown. Foul play is not suspected.
Cyclists familiar with the bike path behind the University de Quebec en Outaouais said there are tight, sharp turns in the road that require cyclists to be extra cautious especially when it comes to their speed.
"It would be good to have a little sort of a fence, just in case something like this happens," said cyclist Michel Bourgeau. "You would hit the fence instead of going in the water and hitting your head."
Deschenes grated with a masters in project management from the University de Quebec en Outaouais and lived in Gatineau. King said he had worked for Service Canada for approximately 8 years. He was involved in the processing and payment services branch at the department.
