Teen girl rescued, father missing in Lake Erie swimming incident
A teenage girl was pulled to safety but her father didn't resurface after police say two swimmers were in distress in Lake Erie on Sunday afternoon.
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PORT BURWELL – The body of a man who did not resurface after police say he and his daughter were in distress in Lake Erie was recovered on Monday afternoon.
Emergency crews were called shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday to the Port Burwell Provincial Park beach, the larger of the two beaches in the community, for a report of two swimmers in distress, Elgin OPP said.
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One swimmer was pulled to safety and taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, but the other swimmer didn’t resurface, police said. OPP Sgt. Ed Sanchuk told The Free Press a teenage girl was safe but her father was the swimmer who was missing.
In a video posted to social media on Monday afternoon, Sanchuk said a 35-year-old man from Woodstock was found dead after police searched the waters of Lake Erie.
“I’d just like to take this opportunity to send out my deepest and sincerest condolences to all the family members and friends that are affected by this tragedy. You are all in our thoughts,” Sanchuk said.
“I’d also like to thank the good Samaritans that came to the aid of this man’s daughter after he pushed her toward the shoreline, ultimately saving her life, and bringing her back to shore safely.”
Port Burwell Provincial Park beach was shut down for the day on Monday, Sanchuk added.
“We appreciate everybody’s patience and assistance while we continued to investigate this matter,” Sanchuk said. “And as a result, we were able to locate this man, this father, someone’s loved one, to try and bring some resolution to his family.”
Police closed the beach, located about 50 kilometres southeast of London, to search for the missing swimmer on Sunday. Members of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton, a rescue coordination centre operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Coast Guard, were also assisting in the effort.
Sanchuk described Sunday’s water conditions as “choppy.”
Members of the missing swimmer’s family declined to speak with The Free Press while at the provincial park on Monday.
In an interview, Bayham Coun. Tim Emerson, who represents Port Burwell, called the situation “heartbreaking” and added: “We wish kind thoughts to the family.”
In another part of Southwestern Ontario, police and fire crews were searching the Thames River in Chatham after witnesses said two teenage girls jumped off the Third Street Bridge early Monday, but only one resurfaced.
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