A 28-year-old Whitchurch-Stouville man who was operating a boat on the Otonabee River on Tuesday afternoon (June 30) is facing two charges after a 39-year-old Oshawa man fell off the boat and drowned.
Just after 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, officers with Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) along with fire and emergency medical services responded to a call about a man who had fallen off a boat on the Otonabee River in the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan.
The caller, who was also travelling on the river, advised police that a boat with four people had gone by when one of them fell into the water. The caller said the person was not wearing a life jacket and the caller did not see him resurface.
Officers arrived on scene while a nearby OPP marine unit made its way to the location by water. Officers then made contact with the three people who were still on the boat, which remained near the location where the person went into the water. Police took them to shore while the area was searched for the missing person.
While speaking with the passengers, police determined they had been consuming alcohol and an officer made a demand of the driver to provide a breath sample. The driver complied and was then was arrested and taken to the Peterborough County OPP detachment for further testing.
Divers with the OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit located the body of the victim shortly before 9 p.m. A 39-year-old Oshawa man was pronounced dead at the scene.
As a result of the investigation, police charged a 28-year-old Whitchurch-Stouville man with operation causing death and operation while impaired (blood alcohol concentration of 80 plus). The accused man was held in police custody for a bail hearing.
