Man drowns in Ontario's Conestogo Lake after helping save child: OPP
A 33-year-old man drowned in Conestogo Lake near Drayton, Ont. on Sunday after helping rescue a child who fell into the water.
According to Wellington County OPP, the incident began earlier on Sunday around noon, when emergency crews were called to the conservation area in Mapleton Township for reports of a possible drowning.
Officials say it was reported a child went in the water from a boat and the victim jumped in the water and attempted to assist the child.
Witnesses were able to pull the child safely from the water, however, the victim did not resurface.
Ornge Air Ambulance was initially called in and then later called off. The OPP helicopter arrived around 5 p.m. to help with the search.
Other boaters also reportedly helped to search for him when they realized what happened.
Police say where the incident happened is not a part of the conservation area.
Wellington County OPP tweeted that its Underwater Search and Recovery Unit found the body of the missing man around 8:45 p.m.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Monday, officials identified the victim as Mapleton Township resident Matthew Reynold Ottens.
"It was absolutely devastating. There was a lot of extended family there as well as friends to support the immediate family," said Cst. Kirk MacDonald with Wellington County OPP.
A post-mortem examination has been scheduled for June 14, 2021.
"It's in hopes that it will give some answers, not just to investigators, but to family members as well as to what happened," MacDonald said.
Police have not confirmed whether the man was wearing a life jacket when he went missing.
OPP say they are offering their condolences to the man's family and friends.
"It hits a community, a small community, quite hard because as is often the case, people know each other," MacDonald said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.