An 81-year-old Whitby man drowned on Friday afternoon (August 2) while tubing in Kawartha Highlands Signature Park in Trent Lakes.
At around 2 p.m. on Friday, Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) along with fire and emergency medical services responded to a report of a possible drowning in the Mississauga River.
Witnesses told police that two people were drifting down the river on tubes. One person, who was not wearing a life jacket, got off his tube in chest-high water. When the second person got off their tube closer to shore, they looked back and could only see the first person’s tube but not the person. Their attempt to find the missing man was unsuccessful.
Park wardens were notified and, a short while later, the missing man was found face down in the water.
The victim, an 81-year-old man from Whitby, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The OPP is reminding the public that a significant number of lives could be saved ever year if boaters, personal watercraft users, and paddlers wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device (PFD) while enjoying the water.
