Ottawa

Police recover body of boy who jumped off Prince of Wales Bridge

Ottawa police have recovered the body of a 14-year-old boy who was presumed dead after he jumped into the water from the Prince of Wales Bridge last week. 

Body was found near Lemieux Island

The abandoned Prince of Wales Bridge is roughly 140 years old. Police recovered the body of a teen on Monday who disappeared after jumping off the bridge. (Trevor Pritchard/CBC)

Ottawa police have recovered the body of a 14-year-old boy who was presumed dead after he jumped into the water from the Prince of Wales Bridge last week. 

According to a media release, his body was recovered on Monday near Lemieux Island. The coroner's office identified the body on Tuesday afternoon. 

Police previously said that young people had gathered on the out-of-use bridge west of downtown and some were jumping into the Ottawa River below. 

Officers responded to calls about a possible drowning at approximately 9:20 p.m. on Friday, and police and fire services from Ottawa and Gatineau searched for the boy on the ground, in the river and by air. 

Police describe the bridge as unsafe and say the current of the Ottawa River in the area is fast. 

Around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Ottawa police said they had shifted their focus from rescuing the boy to recovering his body, presuming he had drowned. 

Police say an investigation is ongoing. 

With files from Radio-Canada

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