A swimmer has died after being seen in trouble near an island in Guelph Lake.
Emergency crews responded to the Guelph Lake Conservation Area around 6:15 p.m. Sunday night.
The person was found around 7:30 p.m. and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the OPP said. Their names have not yet been released.
This is the second swimming death in the Guelph Lake conservation area in two weeks and the third local water-related death in the same period. The tragedies have prompted safety experts to plead with beachgoers to stay safe in the water.
RECENT INCIDENTS
On July 18, the body of 21-year-old Ryan Caber was pulled from Guelph Lake after Caber was seen in distress about 30 feet from shore the day before.
Emergency personnel search for a missing swimmer in Guelph Lake on July 18, 2022 (CTV Kitchener)
In Caledonia’s Grand River, 25-year-old Cody Thomson was found dead July 26 after falling from his Sea-Doo.
Police said he was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident.
EXPERT ADVICE
Mark David, president of the National Boating Safety School, said about 80 percent of drownings happen to people who aren’t wearing a life jacket.
“The most important thing a person can do is wear a properly fitted life jacket,” said David.
He added that most accidents can be avoided if the right precautions are taken.
“Think about what might happen in advance and prepare properly,” David said.
Police search the Grand River for a missing boater. (Colton Wiens/CTV News Kitchener)
Barbara Byers, senior science officer at the Lifesaving Society, said if you’re in a large body of water, make sure you know how far you can swim from shore.
“The lake has no sides,” Byers said. “When you’re halfway out and you’re tired, you have to come back. You really have to know what your swimming abilities are, how far you can really go.
Safety experts also urge boaters to get certified before getting behind the wheel of a vessel and to respect the space of other boaters when on the water.
PONDERERS TAKE PRECAUTIONS
“[I] my condolences to the family,” said Jim Misener, who was in Guelph Lake on Monday. “There is always a loved one somewhere who is missing.”
Misener kept a safety kit handy in case of an emergency as he headed out into the water in a kayak.
“There’s a rope, a whistle and a flashlight,” he explained. “You can use a bucket to save the water if you have to.”
Another kayaker on the lake Monday, Frank Barretto, also took extra precautions.
“[We] we always wear our life jackets and we kind of travel relatively close to each other,” Barreto said.
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