Father dies, daughter survives after water emergency at Rockwood Conservation Area: OPP
A man has died while boating with his daughter at Rockwood Conservation Area, according to provincial police.
Emergency crews were called to the area Saturday around 6:30 p.m.
Police say a 33-year-old Mississauga man and his seven-year-old daughter were pulled from the water by bystanders after the inflatable boat they were on capsized.
“Bystanders came upon it and then they went into rescue mode," said Const. Joshua Cunningham of Wellington County OPP. "We don't exactly know who was all involved with even the rescue, so we're actually imploring to the people who were there and haven't spoken to police to contact us."
A witness said he was canoeing with his family when he saw someone struggling on the water, which is when he and several others at the park tried to help and bring the man to shore.
“We realized that there was somebody in distress, so I jumped out of our canoe, swam over and then we tried to help,” said Greg Baker.
According to Baker, it was a busy day at the beach, so lots of people tried to help however they could. However, the water was too deep to stand in, so people worked together to drag everyone ashore.
Baker said the man appeared to have been in the water for a while.
“It was just too deep there, so we really won’t be able to do much, so he was definitely in the water for a little while before I got there," said Baker. "A lot of really heroic people jumped in there and tried to do everything they could.”
Police are still investigating the death, but are waiting for the coroners office to confirm whether the man drowned.
“If both parties had life jackets on would the situation be different? Well, it's tough to say," said Const. Cunningham. "It's certainly an option going forward we recommend for sure people wear life jackets when they’re on boats or out in the water."
The 33-year-old was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead, while the seven-year-old was treated at the scene.
The GRCA says boat rentals were closed for the rest of Saturday, but the rest of the conservation area remained open.
With reporting from CTV Kitchener's Colton Wiens
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
'The world is too messy for bureaucratic hurdles': Canada still bars Afghanistan aid
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Hamas is reviewing an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as possible Rafah offensive looms
Hamas said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Russia renews attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector as Kyiv launches drones at southern Russia
Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, in attacks that appeared to target the country's energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defense systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region.