A drowning incident that took place on Pigeon Lake in Emily Township is currently under investigation by the City of Kawartha Lakes Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). The incident occurred sometime between the evening of August 28th and the early hours of the following morning.
At around 12:40 am on August 28, OPP uniform officers, in conjunction with members of the Marine Unit and the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) Helicopter, alongside Fire and Rescue personnel, responded to a distress call concerning a missing boater.
Just prior to 6:00 am, the lifeless body of a 69-year-old male resident of Emily Township was discovered submerged in the waters of Pigeon Lake. The individual, who was the sole occupant of the vessel, was found without a life jacket.
The OPP remains dedicated to fostering boater education, marine patrol and law enforcement, and ensuring safety across over 110,000 square kilometers of waterways within Ontario. With instances of capsized vessels and individuals falling overboard being the primary contributing factors to annual boating fatalities, a substantial number of lives could potentially be spared if boaters, personal watercraft users, and paddlers consistently utilized life jackets or personal flotation devices (PFDs).
For individuals seeking more information regarding boating safety, the Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide is a valuable resource: Safe Boating Guide. The OPP’s efforts continue to focus on safeguarding lives and promoting safety awareness to prevent such tragic incidents.
(Written by: Scott Arnold)
