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
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Opinion 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 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Mookie Betts leads Dodgers past Blue Jays 4-2; Toronto drops fifth consecutive game
Mookie Betts went 3 for 5, including a triple and an RBI single, as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Saturday.