Family and friends of the Dorval teen who died earlier this week after he was struck by a Via Rail train admit they are devastated by the tragedy.
16 year old Tristan Morrissette-Perkins was walking and taking photos with friends on the train tracks near Cornwall, Ontario when he was hit.
The teens were on a portion of the CN Railway bridge in South Glengarry.
17 year old Billy Blanchard was with Morrissette-Perkins.
He tells CTV Montreal they thought they'd hear an approaching train.
" We said if a train comes, we'll feel the train tracks move, but we didn't feel them at all. We didn't hear it until it came close to us and that's when we heard, that's when it started honking its horn," he said.
Blanchard was able to flatten himself against a fence enough to dodge the train.
Another friend, Morrissette-Perkins' cousin, jumped off the bridge and sustained minor injuries.
Morrissette-Perkins wasn't able to avoid the oncoming train.
Via Rail says the teens were in a restricted area but family friend Joy Blanchard, Billy's mother, says the spot is a popular hang out for kids and even adults, adding it's too easy to access.
"The kids know the way to get here and don't realize the dangers, 'cause really there's not even any danger signs, there's nothing," she said.
Last year, there were 46 fatal train accidents involving people in restricted areas.
Morrissette-Perkins graduated from John Rennie High School in the West Island a few weeks ago and played midget AA hockey for the West Island Royals.
A GoFundMe page with a goal of $5,000 to help the teen's family with funeral costs has reached nearly $14,000 in less than 24 hours.
With files from CTV Montreal.