Bodies of 2 men in 20s pulled from water after apparent drowning at Wasaga Beach
CBC News | Posted: July 8, 2017 8:56 PM | Last Updated: July 8, 2017
Witnesses describe men struggling in waves before disappearing under the surface, fire chief says
The bodies of two men in their mid-20s were pulled from the water after an inflatable boat they were in overturned at Wasaga Beach Saturday afternoon.
Wasaga Beach's fire chief Mike McWilliam told CBC Toronto the men, approximately 26 years old, encountered rough water conditions in the bay near the mouth of the Nottawasaga River before slipping under the surface.
The fire department was called to the scene just before 1 p.m., where witnesses described the men struggling in the waves before disappearing, McWilliam said.
The men's bodies were located after an approximately one-hour water and land search, Ontario Provincial Police say. Life-saving attempts by paramedics were unsuccessful and the pair were pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims, whose deaths are not deemed suspicious, were from the Collingwood and Caledon areas, OPP say. According to the fire chief, they were renting a cottage on River Road East.
OPP Const. Chris LeSage said the two were not wearing any floatation devices.
Alcohol is not a factor in the incident and it's not yet known if weather played a role in the incident. LeSage said conditions at the time of the search were windy, with large swells exceeding 2 metres.
There are no lifeguards at Wasaga Beach, said LeSage.